Cowboy builder who left massive hole in woman's house despite charging her £17,000 when his firm was about to go bust avoids jail

A cowboy builder who near a monolithic spread successful a woman's location aft charging her £17,000 for enactment erstwhile his institution was astir to spell bust has avoided being sent to jail. 

Gary Roberts, 60, signed a declaration promising to implicit an hold to the rear of the female's property, Chester Magistrates' Court heard.

Within 1 week of the declaration being signed successful May 2021, the pistillate had paid Roberts a £10,000 deposit.

She made a further outgo of £7,000 a period later, adjacent though helium knew his institution GR Developments 1 Ltd was successful fiscal trouble.

The builder, of Old Spot Way, Winsford, successful Cheshire, ne'er finished the task walking disconnected the tract and leaving a gaping spread successful the backmost of her house.

He has since been ordered to wage his unfortunate much than £10,000 successful compensation and was handed a six-month situation sentence, suspended for 2 years.

David Snasdell, Chief Investigator astatine the Insolvency Service, said: 'Gary Roberts near his unfortunate successful a authorities of utter desperation aft wrecking her home.

'He ne'er should person adjacent signed a declaration with her, arsenic helium knew his institution was successful fiscal trouble.

'Protecting the nationalist from rogue traders specified arsenic Roberts is thing the Insolvency Service takes highly seriously.'

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Chester Magistrates' Court heard the shady builder told the unfortunate it would outgo astir £17,000 for caller windows and a rear extension.

But conscionable weeks aft signing the declaration Roberts received proposal from professionals astir placing GR Developments 1 Ltd into liquidation which led him to locomotion disconnected the site.

CI Snasdell said: 'The backmost of the victim's location was wholly exposed to the elements, having been knocked down from the kitchen.

'Roberts and his institution besides near a immense messiness successful her garden, with debris and rubble everywhere.'

During that clip helium paid himself £11,513 betwixt May and July 2021 knowing that his institution was insolvent.

It was yet dissolved successful January 2023.

Roberts was sentenced for fraudulently removing spot successful anticipation of the winding-up of a company, contrary to conception 206 of the Insolvency Act 1986 connected Monday 31 March.

Roberts was subsequently banned arsenic a institution manager for 10 years for his misconduct astatine GR Developments 1 Ltd, with the disqualification successful spot until February 2034.

He was besides ordered to implicit 20 days of assemblage rehabilitation activity, wage £1,000 successful costs, and a £154 surcharge.

The pistillate has since completed her hold successful April 2022 aft employing different tradesmen.

CI Snasdell said: 'Fraudulent behaviour which causes wide fiscal harm to guiltless radical volition beryllium thoroughly investigated by the agency.'

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