A roofer who conned a widower out of almost £100,000 is facing jail after being found guilty of a string of offences against the pensioner.

Sam Mitchell, 51, was being sentenced at Hove Crown Court today after a jury returned the unanimous verdict on eight charges of obtaining money and cash transfers by deception.

Leonard Heal, 80, was fleeced out of more than £93,000, forcing him to sell up and leave his former Haywards Heath bungalow after he met Mitchell in January 2000.

The court heard the pensioner parted with more than 80 cash payments and five cheques, including one for £16,000, as Mitchell carried out numerous jobs around his home.

By November 2003 Mr Heal had been forced to take out a £20,000 bank loan and secure £60,000 equity from his property in order to pay off the mounting bills.

Throughout the week-long trial, Mitchell told Judge Michael Lawson he had received the cheques as gifts from Mr Heal.

He claimed the older man handed him the money after discovering the labourer had debts caused by his wife's shopping addiction and was concerned about the cost of his daughter's impending wedding.

Mitchell claimed the two men became close friends, often sitting and drinking tea together when he carried out work for free on Mr Heal's home in exchange for the generous donations.

Summing up, defence barrister Nicholas Hamblin said: "How could Mr Heal have been misled?

"The reality is he was not being misled at all.

"He was being generous and it was only when his family intervened this whole thing seems to have come about."

But the jury of ten men and two women took just 90 minutes to find Mitchell guilty on all counts.

The defendant's daughter, Emma, 28, is facing four charges of assisting in the retention of the proceeds of criminal conduct and two further charges of facilitating the retention, use or control of criminal property.

The jury was expected to return a verdict on her today.