BRADFORD Crown Court heard how vigilant bank staff prevented a vulnerable man from handing over the contents of his account.

Armaan Khan, 22, pleaded guilty to attempted theft of £4,900 after taking the victim to a Bradford city centre bank in May 2022 and listening in over the phone as he instructed staff to empty his account.

But staff called police when they realised he was being coerced.

A check of the man’s account showed that more than £9,000 had been deposited into it, with £3,000 transferred out.

His Honour Judge Jonathan Gibson told Khan: “I don’t know what was behind this, but it was clearly some kind of criminal enterprise in some way or other.”

Khan, formerly of Abbey Lea, Allerton, pleaded guilty to attempted theft and was sentenced to an 18-month community order and told to undertake 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

The same vulnerable man was also subjected to an attack in his own home earlier in 2022 when Toheed Asif went into his bedroom and punched him repeatedly.

Asif, 22, of Lynfield Drive, Heaton, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He too was handed an 18-month community order and told to undertake 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

Judge Gibson also imposed a five-year restraining order banning both men from any contact with the victim.