A CONMAN described as a predator' has been told he must pay more than £42,000 by the end of the month - or go back to prison.

Ronald Hope, of Elm Close, Staverton, was jailed for two years in June last year for a string of offences including stealing a vulnerable pensioner's life savings.

The 65-year-old confidence trickster had only been out of prison for eight months having been convicted of similar matters when he targeted his latest victims.

And after being returned to custody Hope was told to pay back the ill-gotten gains in six months at a hearing in November.

But with less than two weeks to go before the deadline he applied to a judge at Swindon crown court to give him a further six months to find the cash.

Alex Daymond, for Hope, said his client was struggling to get the money together as he was an ill pensioner living on benefits.

Hope, who appeared in court in a wheelchair, had suffered a stroke last year while in custody, he told the court.

And he said his client was also unsure whether he would ever be able to get the money to settle the order.

Lynne Henderson, for the Crown, said they opposed any extension to the time saying there were no exceptional circumstances.

She drew the court's attention to a report into Hope describing him as a predator who deceives and exploits friends' and is not able to see them as victims.

She said the principal victim, who was cheated out of her £43,000 life savings, has been waiting to receive her money back but has got nothing.

Rejecting the request Judge Charles Wade said Hope would "need to establish a change in circumstance" and also ordered he pay £100 costs of the hearing.

Hope must now pay the money by May 29 or face having to return to prison to serve the 16 month sentence in default.

Hope admitted seven counts of obtaining property by deception and his wife Pamela, 51, admitted two counts.

He was jailed for two years and she received a six month jail term suspended for two years.

11:39am Tuesday 20th May 2008

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