POLICE have appealed for public help to trace a couple convicted of defrauding a vulnerable man, who has since died.

Emma Jayne Durkin and Adam Lee Waugh are facing sentence for fraud at Durham Crown Court, but have been at large for more than a month.

They were accused of draining £16,000 of the complainant’s money, either withdrawn from his account or by using his bank card, over four months last year.

She was said to have run errands, including doing some shopping and cleaning for the man.

The court was told the victim was unaware such an amount of money had disappeared from his account.

When questioned, Durkin maintained everything she did and spent was for the complainant’s benefit.

The couple, of Collingwood Street, Coundon, both initially denied conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation, between January 1 and April 28, 2020, at a plea hearing in March.

Thirty-year-old Durkin also denied a separate charge of theft of £100 from the same complainant.

But she subsequently changed her pleas and admitted both counts, on the day of trial, on August 4, to the fraud count.

She was to have been sentenced at the outcome of co-accused Waugh’s case.

His trial went ahead, but he was convicted by the jury in his absence, on August 9.

Judge James Adkin issued bench warrants for the arrest of both, as neither was present at court.

He called the case back to court for a ‘mention’ to check on the progress of the police search for the couple, who remain at large.

Paul Rooney, for the Crown, said: “I’m told they are still on their toes.

“They have searched a number of addresses in Coundon and Bishop Auckland and also searched a number of unoccupied addresses in the area.

“Details have been circulated to Northumbria Police and their photographs have been circulated.

“Inquiries have been made with the Benefits Agency and they are not claiming any benefits in the County Durham area.”

Judge Adkin said: “They are not master criminals and should by swept up pretty quickly.”

He asked for a further update in a fortnight.

Durham Police asked anyone with information as to their whereabouts to ring 101 and ask to speak to Detective Constable Jason Quye.

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