18 months behind bars for Wolverhampton cowboy roofer
A cowboy roofer who threatened and conned customers within a month of being punished for carbon copy crimes is starting an 18 month jail sentence.
Davia Gibbons told a woman social worker he would 'send the lads round' after she questioned the quality of his work, a judge heard.
On two further occasions during May and June 2012 the 31-year-old threatened to tear off part of the roof of her Fifth Avenue, Low Hill home - and was secretly recorded by the husband, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.
Gibbons, who traded as 1st Choice Roofing, charged another couple £750 for 'repairing' a non existent fault, revealed Mr Kevin Saunders, prosecuting.
The defendant told a woman in that case while working on the £2,800 replacement of the roof on her family's First Avenue, Low Hill home that he had pin pointed a further problem of 'rotting' that would cost an extra £750 to repair, it was said.
She and her husband settled the demand in cash, as they had the earlier £2,800 charge which was not regarded as excessive.
But a building expert who inspected the job said of the additional money paid by the couple: "There is no evidence of any further problem he obtained this without justification."
The householder from Fifth Avenue said in a victim impact statement read to the court: "I was conned and this has knocked my faith in human nature." Her husband added: "We were shocked by all the lies and deceptions perpetrated by a man in whom we put our trust. As a result of the threats he made we did not know whether our property would be damaged when we were out. I was worried sick going to work every day not knowing what I would find when I came home."
The woman targeted in First Avenue, Low Hill, said in a statement to the court: "My husband and I had to scrape together the extra £750 and I was distraught when I found out that we need not have paid it. I was so shocked that he could be so polite when the whole time his sole intention was to rip us off."
Mr Tarlowchan Dubb, defending, disclosed that Gibbons had stopped trading as a roofer and admitted: "There was considerable bullying but he had no intention of carrying out those threats. He is a man who can do good work."
The defendant from Cornfield, Pendeford, Wolverhampton admitted fraud and unfair trading and was sent to prison by Judge Michael Challinor who said: "The harm caused was not merely financial loss but the immense distress your activities caused to innocent members of the public. The threat you made to Mr and Mrs Kane smacks of blackmail."
Mr Stefan Polatajko, senior officer with Wolverhampton Trading Standards Department, who brought the case, commented today: "Gibbons is a serial rogue trader who preys not only on older vulnerable people but on any unsuspecting householder should the opportunity arise. We would urge consumers to be vigilant and get three quotes for work before deciding who to employ."
