A JOBBING gardener who charged an elderly woman £500 for a day’s work and made misleading claims in a flyer has been jailed.

David Benham, 45, was sentenced to 24 weeks in prison at Dorchester Crown Court after admitting four offences brought forward by Trading Standards.

He pleaded guilty to three charges of engaging in misleading commercial practice and one of failing to give notice of cancellation rights.

Timothy Bradbury, prosecuting, said Benham was acting as a jobbing gardener in May and June last year when he offered to prune some trees for Weymouth resident Hilda Hyde, who agreed to pay him £300 for the work.

Mr Bradbury said he did not give notice to Mrs Hyde of her right to cancel the contract within seven days.

He said: “It is not suggested that the work was completed in an unsatisfactory way, although it is not necessarily accepted it was work to the value of £300.”

Mr Bradbury said once he had completed the work he attempted to renegotiate the price and demanded another £500.

He said Mrs Hyde, who was in ill health at the time and has since passed away, initially refused but eventually agreed to give him an extra £200.

Then on June 16 Benham was stopped by police in his work van after they came across a flyer which falsely claimed he had 40 years of experience and his business was registered to dispose of trade waste.

Barrister Nick Robison said Benham, of Kimmeridge Avenue, Parkstone, Poole, was motivated by the need to fulfil his family’s needs.