‘Shameless’ career criminal jailed for Oundle distraction burglary among his offences

A ‘shameless career criminal’ who stole hundreds of pounds in cash from unsuspecting elderly and vulnerable victims has been jailed for 11 years.

Mark Woodliffe, of Gabor Close, Clifton, Nottinghamshire, told a series of elaborate lies as he preyed upon his victims at addresses across the Midlands over a 12-month period.

During one theft at an address in Oundle, he posed as a workman who had come to fit additional alarm points to the property.

After inviting himself in on February 18, 2020, Woodliffe distracted his victim by asking him to wait in the kitchen and made off with his wallet and more than £500 in cash.

The 54-year-old struck again at an address in Chesterfield on September 26 and 27 when he posed as a council worker carrying out necessary maintenance work.

Realising his victim was partially sighted Woodliffe scammed him for more than £400 after leafing through his wallet and walking him to a cash point.

His shameful spree continued on October 11 when he approached his victim at a cashpoint in Blackpool and pretended to be one of his carers.

After befriending him and following him home Woodliffe claimed he was going to fit a safe in the property to protect the victim from burglars. The catch was, however, that he needed to know what items would be put into the safe for insurance purposes.

After asking his victim to make him a cup of tea, Woodliffe fled with around £500 in cash.

Finally he struck at an address in Bulwell, on November 20, where he again posed as a council worker and claimed he needed to fit a new interior light in 84-year-old victim’s home.

After gaining access to his victim’s home and distracting him, he fled with the man’s wallet and £30 in cash. Unfortunately for Woodliffe, however, his victim remembered his face and was later able to pick him out during an identity procedure

Woodliffe was also caught on CCTV in and around the other three addresses at the time of the incident.

When he was interviewed by detectives he replied no comment to all the questions put to him.

He remained similarly silent during a trial at Nottingham Crown Court that started on Monday and finished on Thursday.

After a brief deliberation we was convicted by a jury of three counts of burglary and one of fraud by false representation. He was sentenced to 11 years in jail.

Woodliffe had previously been handed a seven-year jail sentence in 2015 for a very similar series of offences.

DC Natalia Montano, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Woodliffe is an utterly shameless and scheming career criminal who deliberately targeted elderly and vulnerable victims with a brazen series of distraction thefts. In doing so he not only stole their money, he also stole their sense of security and trust in other people. Many of them are still suffering with the after effects today.

“Woodliffe has a long history of this kind of offending but in pretending to have previously been a carer for one of his victims he showed particular cruelty in this case.

“It has taken a lot of work to get to this point but today’s sentence makes all that hard work worthwhile. I am delighted that Woodliffe has now been held to account and I hope this sentence will also offer some sense of closure to his victim’s.

“I also hope this case will also serve as a warning to other potential victims and their families, who I would advise to familiarise themselves with the advice we offer in relation to bogus callers and distraction burglaries, and pass this information on.”

Another man, Ian Richardson, 63, had already pleaded guilty to his involvement in the first offence in Oundle.

Richardson, also of Gabor Close, Clifton, admitted to a charge of burglary and will be sentenced at a later date.