Door-to-door salesman jailed for selling 'off' fish to vulnerable pensioners to support heroin and crack addiction
27 October 2022, 16:58
A door-to-door fish salesman has been sent to prison for more than five years for ripping off dozens of vulnerable customers - including an 105-year-old man.
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Craig Henderson, 51, of Durham, made more than £250,000 over three-and-a-half years by pressuring over 100 people into buying low-quality and expired fish at high prices.
One customer told investigators that "he was like having 10 Jehovah's Witnesses at the door at the same time."
Henderson would sell cheap frozen fish as fresh at an average of three times the retail price, using vans with other, legitimate firms' logos on the side so he could not be traced.
The older the victim the more he charged, Durham Crown Court heard.
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Victims complained that they only agreed to buy products so Henderson would leave, and one said she would hide if he ever came to her door again.
A retired nurse said she felt embarrassed at handing over £150 for 14 pieces of fish. Another was visited four times by Henderson and spent £698 on fish, the court heard.
He did not give victims receipts or a contact number to complain to, he sold cheaper species as expensive ones, and he did not label packaging so consumers had no idea of a use by date.
Henderson or his staff would even enter victims' homes and start loading their fridge with supplies before the customer had agreed a price.
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Some of the fish was of such poor quality it had to be binned, with one buyer saying the produce was so off it made their freezer smell, despite it being frozen.
Defending, Lewis Kerr said that Henderson committed the crimes to feed his heroin and crack cocaine addiction.
Mr Kerr said Henderson admitted: "Not a day goes by that I don't regret what I have done, it is just not acceptable."
Judge Howard Crowson jailed him for five years and seven months, saying the offending persisted despite warnings and attempts from trading standards officers to get him to sell legally.
He imposed a criminal behaviour order, indefinitely banning Henderson from going door-to-door and conducting unsolicited sales.
After the hearing, Lord Michael Bichard, chair of National Trading Standards, said: "Threatening older victims - including at least one aged over 100 - and intimidating them in their own homes shows utter cowardice.
"Many victims were repeatedly targeted, giving the defendant money they could not afford to lose, just to make him go away.
"Once again our team in the North East - who have carried out a number of prosecutions against illegal fish sellers - have stopped a ruthless individual in his tracks and prevented untold further harm.
"I'm proud of everyone involved for their relentless efforts to identify and bring these criminals to justice."
