A ROOFER who “persistently and aggressively” targeted elderly women living on their own to pay for unwanted repairs has been jailed.

Michael Maughan created work for himself by pulling tiles off the roof of his victims’ homes.

Teesside Crown Court also heard how Maughan also began digging up one woman’s drive despite no price having been agreed for the work, leaving her in tears.

The 24-year-old went door-to-door offering his services in Stokesley, North Yorkshire, in August last year and in one incident, Chesterfield, Derbyshire.

In total he received £3,890 from the householders who were said to have felt threatened and intimidated by the defendant.

Maughan climbed on one victim’s roof and removed five or six tiles. She eventually paid Maughan for the ‘repairs’ that he said were necessary to secure the roof, but was left feeling he had “taken her for a ride”.

Prosecutor Kate Dodds said: “They all feel they have been put in a position where they could not refuse to have the work done.”

The eldest of the victims was 75 and deaf, Ms Dodds said. The court was told that a lot of the work which had been done was of poor quality since Maughan lacked the necessary skills.

John Nixon mitigating, for Maughan, said: “There is no suggestion that he had any knowledge of these individuals living on their own or that he was targeting the vulnerable.

“He was simply knocking on doors randomly.”

But the Recorder of Middlesbrough, Judge Simon Bourne-Arton said Maughan had targeted the women by reason of their gender and age.

He said: “You saw women living on their own and targeted them. You are a persistent and aggressive salesman and you left people with no option but to agree to the work.”

The judge said Maughan was indifferent to the views of the householders, while a probation report said he failed to acknowledge that they had felt intimidated by him.

Judge Bourne-Arton said there was no justification to suspend a jail sentence on Maughan because of his conduct.

Maughan, of Metz Bridge caravan site, Middlesbrough, admitted four counts of engaging in aggressive commercial practices and four more offences relating to the fact that he did not inform the women there was a ‘cooling off’ period in which they were legally entitled to claim their money back.

He was jailed for nine months in total and ordered to pay £3,680 compensation within 18 months.

Jo Boutflower, head of business and consumer services at North Yorkshire Trading Standards, which investigated Maughan, said: “Our advice to householders is always not to agree to work done there and then on the doorstep if you have been cold called.

“Get at least three quotes from different tradespeople and take your time to make an informed decision.”