Cowboy builder lied about state of house

A cowboy builder frightened a pensioner into handing over £13,800 for unnecessary work on his Black Country home by telling him his roof would collapse, a court heard.

Dean Clay's work was so shoddy that he left 72-year-old Frank Carrier's property in a far worse state than he found it. An expert called in by Trading Standards described the roof in Martha Crescent, Oldbury, as dangerous, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard. Clay, aged 40, escaped an immediate jail sentence after admitting the fraud.

Pensioner Mr Carrier had initially approached Clay, who was canvassing for work in the street, to repoint one of his chimneys in August 2007.

But the self-styled roofer, who set up business to pay off a debt, kept going back and inventing work to do.

He told the pensioner both his chimneys needed repointing and that the fascia around the house should be replaced, quoting him £4,500.

Clay returned a couple of months later telling him that his roof was bowing.

The court heard that Mr Carrier's roof had been completely replaced in 2003 by a legitimate firm who guaranteed the work for 10 years but Clay claimed the company had carried out substandard work.

He told the pensioner that he would get dry rot and claimed that if it snowed the roof would collapse.

"He frightened Mr Carrier into believing that he needed the work done and charged him a further £5,800," said Mr Jackson.

In January 2008 Clay returned again asking for £5,800 to replace tiles.

But a concerned neighbour contacted Trading Standards and a chartered surveyor called in to inspect the work said Clay had lied about the jobs that he said needed to be done and branded his work shoddy.

Timothy Harrington, defending Clay, said he used the money to clear debts.

Clay, of Clunbury Croft, Shard End, Birmingham, was given a one-year jail sentence suspended for two years. He was also put under supervision for 12 months and ordered to do 200 hours unpaid work and pay £300 costs.