A JUDGE spared a builder from a jail term so he could earn enough money to repay the £13,000 he owes his elderly victims.

Judge Peter Fox told Terence Burnside: “You are as close to the prison door as a person can be without going through it.”

The 51-year-old, from Pease Street, Darlington, targeted vulnerable residents in the Northallerton and Thirsk areas of North Yorkshire between June 2008 and October 2009.

Prosecuting at Teesside Crown Court yesterday, Kate Dodds said that Burnside’s eight victims included an 81-year-old woman who was suffering from arthritis, from whom he demanded £3,500 a day after their contract was agreed.

Miss Dodds added: “The elderly woman, is now unable to sleep at night due to the worries she has over the money that was taken from her.

“She feels she was targeted because she is old and frail and is now very unnerved and untrusting around people who she does not know.”

Burnside admitted six charges of engaging in an unfair practice, two of fraud, two of aggressive commercial practice and one of engaging in a practice by means of misleading action.

He entered his guilty pleas on July 18, the day he was due to face a tenday trial for the offences.

Yvonne Taylor, mitigating, said: “He is a man who did not have a proper understanding of the correct business practices and clearly thought he was doing everything right.

“He will not trouble the courts again.”

Judge Fox, the Recorder of Middlesbrough, ordered that Burnside pay £12,939.41 compensation to his eight victims.

But he was unable to hand down a £4,500 fine, due to a proceeds of crime hearing which will take place later in the year. He indicated that when he is able, he will make the order.

Burnside was given a 12-month prison sentence suspended for two years for the two frauds.

He must complete 300 hours unpaid work and have two years supervision as part of the order.

He was given a consecutive six-month sentence for the other offences, suspended for two years.