A WOEFUL workman is facing prison for a series of botched jobs which left his customers thousands of pounds out-of-pocket.

Michael Tolliday completed just a handful of jobs fitting kitchens, bathrooms and wardrobes at homes across the North-East.

Today (Tuesday, September 16), he pleaded guilty to lying about being a member of a recognised trade body, and to multiple charges of fraud.

The 44-year-old, of Pendle Close, Peterlee, County Durham, will be sentenced next month at Teesside Crown Court.

The Recorder of Middlesbrough, Judge Simon Bourne-Arton, QC, told him a jail sentence was "likely, if not inevitable".

The court heard how Tolliday took on contracts for £60,000 of work over 13 months, and half of it is still outstanding.

He was given deposits and further advances on jobs, but many of his customers have been left with unfinished refurbishments.

Tolliday admitted 11 charges of fraud between October 2012 and November last year, as well as three of engaging in an unfair commercial practice.

His barrister, Duncan McReddie, told the court: "what went wrong on one job, had a knock-on, domino effect on other jobs.

"Most of the complainants have had a considerable amount of work done.

"Throughout the period, with each and every contract, he was incompetent, but doing his best to discharge what he said he would discharge.

"He accepts there was a point when he could not do it, but just carried on."

Judge Bourne-Arton said Tolliday was either fraudulent or "utterly, utterly reckless", and said: "Each contract has to be looked at against a background of what happened in the preceding contract.

"There must have come a stage over the course of the year when he realised that would not happen."

Tolliday will be sentenced on October 14 once background reports have been prepared by the Probation Service.

The judge gave him bail - with the prison warning - until his next appearance.