Trading standards officers helped 'shine a light' on rogue builder who ripped off residents

Shane Rollinson was jailed for 12 months on Friday for ripping off a customer despite being recently released from jail for the same crime.

His victim handed over a £5,000 deposit for construction work in the garden and then had to fork out £16,000 to put the work right.

Councillor Craig Collingswood, Wolverhampton Council’s cabinet member for environment and climate change, welcomed the custodial sentence for Rollinson, 35, of Sedgley.

He said: “The homeowner in this case was left substantially out of pocket by placing his trust in a rogue trader.

“Our trading standards team were able to step in and support the householder and I am pleased to see the positive outcome in the courts.

“It is very important that we shine a light on cases like this to help people remain aware of such unscrupulous individuals and to let them know what they need to consider before engaging anyone to carry out work.”

Rollinson of The Shrubbery, was found guilty of participating in a fraudulent business carried out by a sole trader and engaging in misleading commercial practices.

The work, which included ripping down a fence and laying just three inches of hardcore, was of a very poor standard.

Rollinson also made false promises to complete the work and despite numerous attempts to retrieve the £5,000, the homeowner has never been reimbursed.

In addition, Rollinson made demands for a further £2,500 for materials, which the homeowner refused to pay.

The court also heard that Rollinson had failed to provide the consumer his full name, business name and address throughout their entire dealings.

Sentencing Rollinson, Judge Ian Strongman said: “These crimes were committed whilst he was on licence for almost identical crimes. He was subject to a prison licence, he does not have the prospect of rehabilitation.

“He is now a working man, and has promised to pay [the victim] his money back, however, he has been promising this since 2021 and has not paid a penny. I have no confidence he will pay any compensation back.

“He can only be punished with an immediate custodial sentence. You will serve one half of that sentence.”

In mitigation, Rollinson said he suffered from a gambling addiction, depression and anxiety.

Wolverhampton Council’s Trading Standards team advises residents to obtain three written quotes when having major building work done and only deal with recommended, reputable tradespeople who provide the appropriate credentials.

Anyone concerned about work they have had done can email trading.standards@wolverhampton.gov.uk.