Mark Stanner, 42, from Macclesfield, Cheshire, orchestrated a fraudulent scheme targeting a blind piano tuner over a span of four years, according to Greater Manchester Police (GMP). Stanner operated a call center as a front, bombarding his victim with persistent phone calls, texts, and emails, falsely claiming outstanding debts to various companies.
GMP revealed that Stanner initially demanded small payments from the victim, citing fictitious debts owed to publication companies for advertising his piano tuning services, starting in 2017. As the demands intensified, Stanner became increasingly aggressive, threatening the victim with property seizure and imposing tight deadlines for payments, sometimes as short as half an hour.
The victim, in his 50s, felt compelled to borrow significant sums from friends and family to meet these demands, which escalated into substantial financial losses. To manage the situation, he had to acquire braille software to navigate through a flurry of fraudulent invoices fabricated by Stanner.
Stanner, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud, was sentenced to five years and four months in prison at Manchester Crown Court Minshull Street. His sister, Martina Turner, 44, of Droylsden, received an 18-month suspended sentence and 200 hours of unpaid work for her involvement in masking Stanner’s illicit financial activities. Marvin Scott, 41, of Manchester, was jailed for 31 months after admitting to assisting in concealing £48,000 of Stanner’s fraudulent proceeds.
Detective Constable Michelle Wilkinson condemned Stanner’s lack of remorse and highlighted the vulnerability of the victim, emphasizing how easily individuals can fall prey to such convincing fraudsters. She expressed hope that Stanner’s incarceration would prompt him to reflect on the repercussions of his actions.
