A father and son who emptied a 90-year-old man's bank account, taking more than £10,000 for non-existent roof repairs, have been sentenced. The scam began in March 2025, when Danny George Quinn, 40, and his son Danny Jo Quinn, 19, knocked on the pensioner's door offering to fix cracked tiles on the roof.
The pair visited the property more than ten times over three months, claiming extra work was needed and asking for cash payments. In June 2025, they demanded a final payment of £2,500. One of them waited in the victim's car as he withdrew cash from the bank, but a bank teller noticed the large withdrawals and the account balance down to £24, and contacted police via the Banking Protocol.
Police investigation and safeguarding
Officers spoke with the victim, who was confused and unable to specify what work had been completed. Safeguards were put in place while Derbyshire Police's fraud team built a case showing the Quinns accompanying the victim to ATMs and banks, and using his bank card at local shops and ATMs. A roof survey showed very little work had taken place.
Since the incident, the victim's family has seen a change in him. His son wrote: "I believe they persistently targeted my dad due to his confusion which is obvious to anyone who talks to him for any length of time. They appear to have been merciless in taking all of his money from his bank account and gave no thought to how it would impact on him."
Sentencing at Derby Crown Court
On Thursday 30 July at Derby Crown Court, both pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation. Danny George Quinn, of Cransley Road, Loddington, was sentenced to three years and four months in prison and ordered to pay £228. Danny Jo Quinn, of Burnaby Road, Sandyford, was sentenced to nine months in a young offenders' institute, suspended for 18 months, with 150 hours of unpaid work and a £41 payment. Both received restraining orders not to contact the victim or enter Mickleover until July 30, 2031.
DC Calum Marrows, officer in the case, said: "Both the Quinns hounded the victim over a period of months as they emptied his bank account. They took advantage of the man's vulnerability, shamelessly returning and pressing him for every penny they could. Their actions are truly appalling and it's only thanks to a bank worker realising that something wasn't right and using the Banking Protocol that we have been able to hold them responsible."
Advice for the public
Bank and Post Office staff can alert authorities by calling 999 and stating 'banking protocol' if they notice unusual activity that may indicate fraud. Lancashire Police previously advised people against agreeing to work immediately during a cold call, and to get written quotes from two or three traders before getting any work done.
