By . Helen Lawson . PUBLISHED: . 06:28 EST, 6 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:36 EST, 6 March 2013 . Alexander Wright was jailed at Sheffield Crown Court after posing as a police officer and carrying out seven robberies at the homes of elderly victims . A bogus caller who dressed up as a policeman to target elderly people in their homes before robbing them has been jailed for eight years. Alexander Wright, 31, bought a dark blue top and trousers, smart white shirt and tie from a charity shop to carry out the con. To complete his costume he had a fake earpiece, a walkie-talkie radio and sported a four-inch ID badge bearing the word 'police'. His victims were aged between 67 to 91, and included an 87-year-old man with Alzheimer's disease. Wright denied seven burglaries but a jury took only 45 minutes to find him guilty after a three-week trial at Sheffield Crown Court. Jailing him, Judge Rosalind Coe said he was nothing more than a distraction burglar who went to great lengths to convince victims he was someone in authority. She said: 'You dressed as a police officer therefore persuading them you were somebody who could be relied upon. 'You took from them various amounts of money and belongings in circumstances where the victims were left uncomfortable and frightened in their own homes.' Prosecutor Ian West said Wright's trick was to prey on elderly and vulnerable people in their own homes. 'He does that by pretending to be a police officer who arrives at the premises and knocks on the door,' he said. 'He will claim he is a police officer and say there have been burglaries and ask to check their homes. This is a very clever and devious man.' Wright struck three times in Chesterfield and at homes in Huddersfield, Oldham, Sheffield and Rotherham last summer. He was arrested after fleeing a break-in and driving at 70mph in his white transit van trying to ram a police car, narrowly missing other vehicles and driving through red lights. Wright bought his uniform from the Minds Matters shop in Sheffield and conned his victims who were aged from 67 to 91, some of whom were short-sighted, into believing he was a policeman. 'He just needed to look presentable and the ruse worked,' said Mr West. 'He even had two sets of his chosen disguise.' When Wright was arrested officers found half of a pair of headphones in his van which he used to make a fake earpiece to pretend he was talking to the control room. 'One of the victims said he had this headphone in his ear and he was talking into it,' said Mr West. Wright stole bank books, a passport and £400 in cash from Elsie Swan, 88, at her home in Gleadless, Sheffield on Saturday, July 7. Three days later he struck at three homes in Chesterfield where the female victims were aged 76, 91 and 82 respectively. In Huddersfield he targeted an 87-year-old man with Alzheimer's disease and his 75-year-old wife, and robbed a 67-year-old woman in Oldham. Mrs Swan said a smart, clean shaven man with short hair in police uniform knocked on her door and said: 'I'm a police officer from the station.' At Sheffield Crown Court, pictured, Judge Rosalind Coe told Wright he was nothing more than a distraction burglar and left his victims uncomfortable and frightened in their own homes . He claimed two boys had been arrested who had burgled her house. She said he must be mistaken but he insisted and told her: 'Please hurry up, they're waiting for me at the station.' The victim said: 'I was frightened of him so I thought I had better check my money,' she said. She went upstairs and found everything was fine before later discovering her passport, £400 cash and two bank books had been taken from a downstairs room. 'I thought it must have been the policeman who took it,' she said. Wright was arrested wearing his police uniform after he leapt into his van, stuck up two fingers at officers and was pursued from the scene of an attempted break-in at Handsworth, Sheffield. The father-of-two , who lived on a caravan site in the Sheffield area, admitted buying the clothing but said he had split up from his wife at the time and needed shirts to look more professional for work as well as a tie for church. He claimed to have lent his white van, which was seen at the various crime scenes, to friends from the travelling community. He had bought the van from a traveller and was paying for it in instalments. The court heard Wright has five previous convictions for burglaries. He was also sentenced for three false representation offences, when he preyed on elderly homeowners offering gardening services before stealing cash. He was jailed for five years for the seven burglaries, another two years for the deception offences and a year on top of that for dangerous driving. He was also banned from driving for five years.
Alexander Wright stole from victims between the ages of 67 and 91 .
He robbed an 87-year-old man with Alzheimer's disease in Huddersfield .
Used a fake earpiece, ID badge and walkie-talkie to carry out the con .
By . Helen Lawson . PUBLISHED: . 06:28 EST, 6 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:36 EST, 6 March 2013 . Alexander Wright was jailed at Sheffield Crown Court after posing as a police officer and carrying out seven robberies at the homes of elderly victims . A bogus caller who dressed up as a policeman to target elderly people in their homes before robbing them has been jailed for eight years. Alexander Wright, 31, bought a dark blue top and trousers, smart white shirt and tie from a charity shop to carry out the con. To complete his costume he had a fake earpiece, a walkie-talkie radio and sported a four-inch ID badge bearing the word 'police'. His victims were aged between 67 to 91, and included an 87-year-old man with Alzheimer's disease. Wright denied seven burglaries but a jury took only 45 minutes to find him guilty after a three-week trial at Sheffield Crown Court. Jailing him, Judge Rosalind Coe said he was nothing more than a distraction burglar who went to great lengths to convince victims he was someone in authority. She said: 'You dressed as a police officer therefore persuading them you were somebody who could be relied upon. 'You took from them various amounts of money and belongings in circumstances where the victims were left uncomfortable and frightened in their own homes.' Prosecutor Ian West said Wright's trick was to prey on elderly and vulnerable people in their own homes. 'He does that by pretending to be a police officer who arrives at the premises and knocks on the door,' he said. 'He will claim he is a police officer and say there have been burglaries and ask to check their homes. This is a very clever and devious man.' Wright struck three times in Chesterfield and at homes in Huddersfield, Oldham, Sheffield and Rotherham last summer. He was arrested after fleeing a break-in and driving at 70mph in his white transit van trying to ram a police car, narrowly missing other vehicles and driving through red lights. Wright bought his uniform from the Minds Matters shop in Sheffield and conned his victims who were aged from 67 to 91, some of whom were short-sighted, into believing he was a policeman. 'He just needed to look presentable and the ruse worked,' said Mr West. 'He even had two sets of his chosen disguise.' When Wright was arrested officers found half of a pair of headphones in his van which he used to make a fake earpiece to pretend he was talking to the control room. 'One of the victims said he had this headphone in his ear and he was talking into it,' said Mr West. Wright stole bank books, a passport and £400 in cash from Elsie Swan, 88, at her home in Gleadless, Sheffield on Saturday, July 7. Three days later he struck at three homes in Chesterfield where the female victims were aged 76, 91 and 82 respectively. In Huddersfield he targeted an 87-year-old man with Alzheimer's disease and his 75-year-old wife, and robbed a 67-year-old woman in Oldham. Mrs Swan said a smart, clean shaven man with short hair in police uniform knocked on her door and said: 'I'm a police officer from the station.' At Sheffield Crown Court, pictured, Judge Rosalind Coe told Wright he was nothing more than a distraction burglar and left his victims uncomfortable and frightened in their own homes . He claimed two boys had been arrested who had burgled her house. She said he must be mistaken but he insisted and told her: 'Please hurry up, they're waiting for me at the station.' The victim said: 'I was frightened of him so I thought I had better check my money,' she said. She went upstairs and found everything was fine before later discovering her passport, £400 cash and two bank books had been taken from a downstairs room. 'I thought it must have been the policeman who took it,' she said. Wright was arrested wearing his police uniform after he leapt into his van, stuck up two fingers at officers and was pursued from the scene of an attempted break-in at Handsworth, Sheffield. The father-of-two , who lived on a caravan site in the Sheffield area, admitted buying the clothing but said he had split up from his wife at the time and needed shirts to look more professional for work as well as a tie for church. He claimed to have lent his white van, which was seen at the various crime scenes, to friends from the travelling community. He had bought the van from a traveller and was paying for it in instalments. The court heard Wright has five previous convictions for burglaries. He was also sentenced for three false representation offences, when he preyed on elderly homeowners offering gardening services before stealing cash. He was jailed for five years for the seven burglaries, another two years for the deception offences and a year on top of that for dangerous driving. He was also banned from driving for five years.
from a charity shop to carry out the con. To complete his costume he had a fake earpiece, a aged between 67 to 91, and included an 87-year-old man with Alzheimer's disease. Wright Chesterfield and at homes in Huddersfield,