A SERIAL fraudster conned his friend of 30 years out of nearly £30,000 while she was battling cancer.

Robert Stubbings, from Hood Manor, was spared jail earlier this month after admitting defrauding his friends and workmates out of nearly £65,000.

The 48-year-old told his victims he could source cheap vehicles, electricals and jewellery but pocketed their cash without delivering the goods.

This was the second time he had found himself before the courts, having previously been jailed for 45 months in May 2017 for a similar campaign of fraud totalling £126,000.

One of his victims on that occasion was a friend of 30 years who was suffering from cancer.

She gave Stubbings, of Hood Lane, £28,800 for her dream car – but never saw the vehicle or her money back.

Speaking to the Warrington Guardian, she said: “We had known him for a long time, he even came to our wedding.

“He knew that I’d come into some money, he knew that I was ill and and he knew that I had always wanted a Mercedes 4x4 – he said that he had contacts who were bailiffs and that he could get it for me.

“We’d given him all of our money and we didn’t get a penny back.”

The 50-year-old victim, who wishes to remain anonymous, helped to secure a second prosecution after coming into possession of two mobile phones belonging to Stubbings – with messages on the devices uncovering further victims.

She added: “He was just the most devious person – he sat at my table and told me that he had throat cancer, after I’d gone through what I’d gone through.

“This is the type of person he is, he’s the worst person I’ve ever met.

“He’s ruined a lot of people’s lives – these people were all friends, he had known these people for so long that they trusted him.

“I trusted him fully, but he is so manipulative.

“If he had been in trouble, I’d have given him the money – he didn’t have to steal it from me, I would have helped him.

“He was living a life of luxury at the Village Hotel with all the money that he’d took off everyone.

“Be so careful if he approaches you with any form of mobile phones or cars – he is not reformed.”