Fraudster Gary Trevett breaks down in tears and admits fearing jail after scamming elderly people planning funerals

He is one of the funeral directors behind a heartless scam that preyed upon the elderly and vulnerable, fleecing them out of thousands of pounds which they paid out to plan their own funerals.

But the scammer revealed he will accept whatever punishment he is given next month and wants to apologise to his nine victims, some of whom he admits were his friends.

• Undertakers scammed thousands from elderly people planning their funerals

Crying, he said: “It's the stupidest, biggest mistake of my life and I cannot justify it. I regret it and if I could pay back the money tomorrow I would.

“I am very sorry and I am very remorseful for what I have done. It should have never happened and I do admit my guilt.

“I feel sick and disgusted. I hate myself. I said to my mum that I don't want to be here anymore. I am not looking for sympathy from anyone, I made the mistake.

“People might think when they read this I am a liar and this is a front, but it is not.”

As reported, Trevett and with his now estranged wife, Fiona Langdown (see below) conned their victims into parting with almost £23,000 to take care of funeral arrangements once they had passed away - sparing their loved ones the heartache.

But in reality, Southampton Crown Court heard how the cash was being siphoned off to prop up their failing business, with the con only uncovered once then undertakers' firm, Langdown and Trevett, based in Woolston, had folded.

Trevett insists the scam only came about “by accident”, that there were never any grand plan to rip off their customers.

He said it came about because the business was making a loss - a total of £47,000 by the end - as he claims some customers didn't pay for funerals they had organised.

The 54-year-old, from Weston, said: “We thought we would be able to pay it back once we had some work but that didn't happen.

“We honestly thought we would still be going to this day and we could have covered the funerals when the time came. We didn't want to let anyone down.

“We shouldn't have done it but it never crossed out minds that we wouldn't be able to pay it back.

“We set the business up to give families the best price funeral we could give them without robbing them, which I know sounds patronising now because we have done that to these families.

“There wasn't any gain for us, we were not driving luxury cars or having luxury holidays, we spent the money to keep the business afloat.”

Since the scam was uncovered Trevett said his relationship with his only daughter has broken down, he has lost two jobs and his house has been targeted by those angry with what he and his wife had done, leaving him scared for his own safety.

Trevett pleaded guilty to defrauding nine victims, the oldest of whom was 89, while Langdown was found guilty of defrauding four victims and handling the stolen cash of three more.

"She was cleared of any involvement with two of Trevett's nine victims.

Insisting he was not a malicious person, he added: “I am absolutely petrified of going to prison.

“I deserve to go to prison and will accept whatever punishment is handed down, but I also feel that if I am given that chance to try and pay the money back by getting a job, I do feel it would be better for me to work and pay the money back, rather than go to prison.”