Rogue builder forces Briton into early retirement after tricking victim to hand over extra £80,000
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A rogue builder has forced a victim to enter early retirement to fix his home after the cowboy asked for £80,000 and left the job unfinished.
Michael Corcoran, 43, from Swindon, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing at Reading Crown Court to three offences of fraudulent trading.
Corcoran, who was sentenced to four-years and three-months, promised unrealistic pricing and timetabling for his work.
An investigation was launched after several complaints were made about the cowboy builder.
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The probe saw officers from the Council’s Public Protection Partnership Investigation Team work alongside the National Trading Standards Tri-Regional Investigation Team.
Cocoran left customers in severe emotional and financial distress during work carried out between October 2015 and January 2019.
He asked for significant sums of money for several home renovations across Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Wiltshire.
Cllr Lee Dillon, who chairs the Joint Public Protection Committee for West Berkshire & Bracknell Forest councils, said: “It is unacceptable for traders to act in this way and is detrimental to the overwhelming majority of our local businesses which are trustworthy.
“I hope this case sends out the message that our dedicated officers will act against those that try to take advantage of our residents.”
One of Cocoran’s victims was forced into an early retirement after being asked to cough up £80,000 for an unfinished job.
A second victim was left with a house in need of constant repair and has no funds to build their dream retirement home.
She claimed the incident severely impacted her husband’s mental health and left her confidence shaken.
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Ian Wright, Operations Manager for the National Trading Standards unit's Tri-Regional Investigation Team, said: “Taking large sums of money from honest consumers before attempting to ramp up costs by threatening to leave work unfinished is thoroughly dishonest and against the law.
“This complex joint investigation is a great example of collaboration and partnership working between our regional team and local authority Trading Standards services, and the sentence sends a clear message that we will work tirelessly to bring fraudulent builders to justice.
“If you, or someone you know has fallen victim to a fraud like this, you should report it to the Citizens Advice consumer service helpline by calling 0808 223 1133.”
Citizens Advice reportedly witnessed an increase in the number of complaints about cowboy builders following the coronavirus pandemic.
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