An “ultimate conman” who swindled more than £300,000 from shareholders of a County Tyrone credit union was handed a two-year jail sentence on Friday.

Andrew Deans, 80, from Old School Field in Drumahoe, will serve half the sentence in custody and half on licence.

He pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position and theft in September 2024.

On Friday, Judge Sherrard said the thefts and fraud were perpetrated against a community of “trusting, and sometimes vulnerable individuals”.

One of the shareholders impacted, who knew Deans for more than 20 years, described him as “the ultimate conman” with ‘”no moral compass”.

She said he “stole for greed, not need” and said “the hurt and betrayal” caused could not be underestimated.

“Former close friends, including ourselves, were hard working class people who paid into pension schemes to be able to enjoy retirement,” she added.

Deans was sentenced at Dungannon Crown Court.

The court heard that concerns were first raised by a shareholder of North Tyrone Credit Union in March 2023, who discovered a significant sum of money had been withdrawn from their account by Deans without their permission.

Deans also kept money shareholders gave him to lodge into their accounts, and took out loans in shareholders’ names without their permission.

The credit union wrote to its shareholders in June 2023, stating that “more than 30 customers” had been victims.

Many of those affected were over 70 and the money Deans stole from them was their long-term savings.

He was arrested in July 2023 and charged in January 2024.

Judge Sherrard told Deans that the financial loss of around £338,000 was compounded “by the reputational damage to the credit union”.

He added that the defendant’s own reputation was “in tatters”.

Speaking after the sentencing, Det Insp Gordon Hanbidge said Deans “knew many of his victims personally”.

“In many cases, he was friends with them for over 20 years, some for even longer, and he used several methods to defraud them,” he said.

“Deans was trusted implicitly to safeguard money shareholders gave him. He saw no wrong in his actions.

He said Deans had abused his position as a friend and in his role within the credit union.

“His actions were beyond brazen.”

Det Insp Hanbidge said the victims had all got their money back, which was “some comfort and relief for them”.

The judge acknowledged that custody for the 80-year-old will be harder than for other defendants, and will have serious consequences for his frail wife who requires round-the-clock care.

Defence lawyer Eoghan Devlin had argued that the effect on Deans’ wife could amount to exceptional circumstances and justify suspending a prison sentence.

However the judge told the court that the impact on Mrs Deans could be lessened by a care package.