Fraudster may be spared jail due to deal with Nigerian president

Mark Ware is negotiating a multi-million pound contract set to be signed by the president Goodluck Jonathan which would allow him to pay his victims back.

Ware left his clients out of pocket when he continued trading after his construction company fell into trouble and charged them for work that was never completed.

The deal is worth £335 million and could net Ware £2m in bonuses and allow him to pay off his debts.

Judge Mary Stacey agreed to delay sentencing to see if the contract materialises. She said that she could not guarantee that any custodial sentence would be suspended but agreed to give Ware a 'final opportunity' and adjourned sentencing until July 4.

Ware, aged 50, was arrested after several dissatisfied customers – some from Stourbridge and Dudley – made complaints to Central England Trading Standards over money paid to him for work on their homes that was never completed.

The fraud involved a total of £157,995 and Ware's victims were left suffering from stress and financial hardship, Birmingham Crown Court was told. Ware, who has been bailed, initially denied two counts of fraudulent trading and three counts of VAT fraud but later changed his pleas. .

More than 17 victims including homeowners, labourers, plumbers and building suppliers were left counting their losses by his actions.

Mr Nicholas Cole, prosecuting, said the defendant, of Newick Avenue, Sutton Coldfield, , set up a number of companies in 2006 including Ware Plastics Limited that generated a number of complaints.

Mr Cole said in reality, Ware was the company and the only director. He made the contracts and representations and proceeded to engage in various building contracts.

Among the victims were a couple from Dudley who paid Ware the deposit towards £13,395 worth of work on their home in 2008 to include VAT.

It emerged his businesses were not registered with HM Revenue and Customs and no tax returns were made. The sub-contractors walked off the job after telling the family that they had not been paid by Ware.

Mr Cole told the court there was a similar pattern for the other complainants, who included pensioners who engaged him to work on their homes, tradesmen and suppliers who were left out of pocket for goods and services not paid for.

Mr Martin Butterworth, defending, said Ware's problems were triggered by difficulties relating to work on a restaurant that incurred a £50,000 debt prior to January 2010.

Giving evidence, Ware's new boss Andrew McPherson, of Renewables Trading Company, said he had set up the deal with the Nigerian government worth £335m to supply solar panels and could earn £2m from it .

Judge Mary Stacey adjourned the hearing to give the company time to secure the deal which she said amounted to 'an exceptional argument'.