A cowboy roofer conned hundreds of pounds out of an elderly Black Country couple for work that amounted to him pointing just four tiles, a court heard.
Mark Fieldhouse told Patricia and John Heritage they needed a programme of urgent work to the roof of their home in Oakdale Close, Oldbury, when he knocked on their door in April 2006 looking for work. Mr Heritage, aged 67, had been unable to carry out any maintenance on the property himself after suffering a stroke nine years earlier.
His 64-year-old wife was incapacitated through a recent hip replacement, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told yesterday.
Fieldhouse and at least one other man cold-called the couple claiming they had noticed holes in the gable end of the house which they could fix for £25, said David Swinnerton, prosecuting.
But they went on to claim that a lot more work needed to be done.
Fieldhouse told the couple that the work would cost £595 but offered them a pensioner discount of £50.
Mrs Heritage went to the bank to withdraw the money, returning an hour later to find the men sitting in their van outside the house. They said the work had been completed.
Fieldhouse, aged 46, of Frensham Gardens, Chelmsley Wood, Birmingham, originally denied being at the house but seven months later confessed. He pleaded guilty to four counts of making false statements and another of obtaining property by deception.
Paul John, defending, said he was driven by financial problems. Fieldhouse was sentenced to four months in prison, suspended for 12 months, and given a 12-month supervision order.
He was also ordered to pay £545 compensation to the Heritages. The couple did not want to comment.
4 Comments
There are too many con men preying on old people, they should have sent him to prison not suspended it, he may think twice about making false statements and wasting police time - he only got caught cos the old couple complained - at least they got thier money back - but how has all this left them feeling?
Another victory to our “Justice System” LoL
12 months probation!! what another joke.
“Defence said he was driven by financial problems”….. No,no,nowwwwww they were just downright thieves, thinking nothing of ripping off disabled pensioners.
“He was also ordered to pay £545 compensation to the Heritages”… Compensation!!! this is what the scum STOLE from them. He should have had to pay back the amount he stole PLUS £1000 “compensation” for the stress he gave the couple, and be made to make repairs to there roof for the rest of there lives.
is picture should have been shown then we would know him whats to stop him doing it again
wots the betting he will have a new company name within a week, and rip of people again.