A prominent Cumbrian estate agent has been jailed for five years for defrauding elderly clients out of £450,000.

At Carlisle Crown Court a judge today described the actions of 62-year-old Donald Scott, who admitted 13 charges of fraud, as selfish and devious.

The former auctioneer forged the signatures of his victims so he could sell the so-called “entitlements” to their farmland – legal covenants which entitle the owner to European Union subsidy payments.

It was part of a desperate but doomed attempt to save his debt-ridden business, the court heard.

Scott, whose estate and land agency business was based in Wigton, has now also been declared bankrupt.

Prosecutor Lucy Wright described how he also took large sums of money from other customers who wrongly believed they were buying subsidy rights.

The court heard how Scott committed fraud against six clients – most of them elderly – who entrusted him to look after their entitlements.

“He did this either by selling them without their knowledge, or by failing to invest money given to him to buy those entitlements,” the prosecutor told an earlier hearing.

In court today, Miss Wright outlined the impact of Scott’s crimes on his victim.

She said: “All of the victims feel bitter and disappointed. He was a person in whom the invested a great deal of trust... They feel cheated.”

Scott, of Low House Farm Cottage, Wigton, sat throughout the case with his head bowed, speaking only to confirm his name.

Noting that two of the victims lost their life savings, Judge Peter Davies told Scott: “They trusted you with significant sums of money and you betrayed that trust.”

The judge accepted that Scott, a man of previous good character, had never been in trouble with the courts before and was unlikely to re-offend in the future.

At the time of the offences all the victims were elderly farmers or landowners, who were among Scott’s loyal customers.

One victim, named as Caroline Armstrong, handed Scott more than £50,000, while another lost more than £200,000.

All the offences were all committed between 2010 and 2015.

The other victims named in the charges include Dorothy Batty, Robert Swales, John Benson, William Fraser, and Michael Hilton.

It is thought Scott’s victims are unlikely to ever be fully compensated for their losses.

Scott, who ran his business from premises in King Street, Wigton, was declared bankrupt in March last year.

The firm provided property services in and around Wigton and Donald Scott for sale signs were a familiar site in the area.

Scott began his career in Dumfries and Galloway, working as a junior auctioneer.

He formed his own company in 2004, selling properties in the Wigton, Silloth and Aspatria area.

After the hearing, Detective Constable Duncan Watson said: “The level of the sentence is an indication of the severity of Scott’s crimes. 

"He has preyed on his elderly victims who have known him for many years and had the utmost trust in him, they expected that he would act in their best financial interests, sadly this was not the case.

“Scott was declared bankrupt on 4th March 2015. This remains in force. The police will now apply to the court's for a confiscation order against Scott.

“Fraud can be an embarrassing crime, many victims choosing to take it on the chin rather than be exposed as a victim. This case highlights that those we trust the most can often be fraudsters. We hope that this sentence will act as a deterrent to any potential fraudsters.”