A builder accused of taking hundreds of pounds from a Black Country pensioner for work on his home made “excuse after excuse” as to why it was never done, a court heard.

Stephen Dunleavy, of Summergate, Dudley, denies defrauding 73-year-old Harold Homer of £200 for work to double glaze his porch and install a new front door at his Cradley Heath home.

A jury at Wolverhampton Crown Court heard yesterday how 40-year-old Dunleavy had approached Mr Homer and agreed to carry out work on the property.

Prosecuting for Sandwell Council’s Trading Standards team, Mark Jackson said: “This defendant offered excuse after excuse but never was the work done or the money refunded.”

The court heard Dunleavy had come into contact with Mr Homer when he helped double glaze the rest of the house when working for Safestyle UK in the summer of 2008 but later came back to the house and said he was now self-employed.

After Mr Homer agreed for Dunleavy to carry out the work on the door and porch, the builder took a £200 deposit from him in September 2008 to pay for materials. Three months lat-er no work had been done, Mr Jackson said.

The prosecutor said Mr Homer had become so frustrated with the lack of progress by November 2008 that he demanded his money back from Dunleavy and after more broken promises, he referred the matter to Trading Standards officials.

The jury is due to retire to consider its verdict today.