A rogue trader who defrauded two elderly women out of more than £50,000 has been spared jail.
Tony Lloyd left one of the pensioners unable to afford Christmas presents and living on beans on toast for months after unnecessary work was carried out on her property.
The 24-year-old was the sole director of First Roofcare Ltd which falsely claimed membership of the Confederation of Roofing Contractors (CORC), despite having been removed in October 2022 for poor workmanship and non-payment, Wiltshire Council said.
In November 2023, an 83-year-old woman in Frome, Somerset, had been seeking roof repairs and received a leaflet from the company.
After visiting the property and quoting £700 to £900 for the repairs, Mr Lloyd’s employee began work immediately to remove roof tiles.
Following the removal, the elderly victim was advised that the property would require a full roof replacement, costing £30,500.
The victim, feeling pressured, agreed to the work which was later found to be unnecessary and poorly executed, the council said.
A Chartered Surveyor assessed the damage and estimated the true cost of repairs should have been no more than £600.
One elderly victim was told her property needed a full roof replacement costing £30,500
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PA
In a victim impact statement, the woman said she had to survive on beans on toast and jam sandwiches for months and could not afford Christmas presents.
She has since been living entirely downstairs due to the damage incurred and the costs involved in the repair.
In February 2024, a second victim, a 75-year-old woman from Corsham, Wiltshire, contacted Mr Lloyd after seeing an advert in a local magazine using the CORC logo.
He quoted £300 to remove moss from her roof, but then removed roof tiles unnecessarily and claimed that she also needed spray foam insulation removed.
He quoted her £30,000 for the additional work, which was later reduced to £21,300.
When the Chartered Surveyor examined the second property, he determined that the work was unnecessary and had caused further damage to the roof.
The second victim said the experience had significantly affected her confidence and may impact her ability to live independently in future.
Lloyd has since refunded the two victims in full.
In another incident, waste including broken roof tiles was found dumped on land in the village of Semington, Wiltshire, by a member of the public.
Environmental Enforcement Officers obtained evidence linking to a property where Lloyd’s business had undertaken work.
Lloyd was served with a legal notice requiring him to produce two years of waste transfer documentation, but he failed to provide any records.
Lloyd, of Ely, Cambridgeshire, who has also been known as William Johnson and William Bray, appeared at Swindon Crown Court on Thursday and pleaded guilty to five offences, including two counts of fraud, one breach of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 and one offence of fly-tipping.
Lloyd pleaded guilty to five offences at Swindon Crown Court
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He was handed a 20-month prison sentence, suspended for two years and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and pay costs of £2,000, plus a victim surcharge of £187.
Councillor Paul Sample, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “Lloyd has since refunded the money to the victims. However, he has caused a great deal of distress and inconvenience to his victims.
“The consequences of this sort of behaviour often go far beyond the financial harm.
“Victims are often left with lasting practical and emotional problems, as well as a loss of trust.
“There is no excuse for fly-tipping. This offence shows that Lloyd has little regard for the law or the environment we live in. It also shows he has little care for following the correct business practices.”