A dodgy builder who ripped off elderly and vulnerable customers to the tune of more than £30,000 has been jailed for his cynical fraud.
John McGrath took payment for several building projects across the region but failed to complete them before disappearing into the sunset.
The 49-year-old’s fraud was exposed after several of his victim’s lodged complaints with trading standards and took the rogue builder to the small claims court.
Several of his victims gave statements to Teesside Crown Court after McGrath pleaded guilty to eight fraud charges related to his unscrupulous trading.
Philip Morley, prosecuting, said the builder was initially investigated in 2019 following complaints of fraud from several customers.
He said the offences went on over a five-year period against eight specifically identified customers.
The court heard how customers were left £30,000 out of pocket as a result of his fraudulent building practices.
It was told McGrath’s activity would generally begin with him agreeing to carry out building or roofing work.
He would then request more money from his customers, either as a deposit or for materials, but would not return and carry out the work.
McGrath would also promise customers a refund but would not compensate in full or, in some cases, would not return any money at all.
One of these customers was a community association, which had hired McGrath to repair the roof of its building.
McGrath quoted a bill for £3,200 but began to increase the bill as he claimed to identify more work.
Nine months into the project, McGrath had received payments totalling £13,367 but had carried out a small amount of work and gave reasons as to why matters could not proceed.
The community association then asked McGrath for a refund, in response to which he promised to finish the work or refund some of the money paid, but failed to do either.
Mr Morley outlined the impact the defendant’s behaviour on his customers after he left them with unfinished projects including a converted garage and roofing work.
In a personal statement to the court, one of his victims said: “Your despicable, deceitful, manipulative and criminal behaviour gave rise to many lows to my husband, our family and myself.
“The money you took from us is a difficult loss to bear but it pales next to the precious time we have wasted on you when our time and energy was so limited and already stretched.”
McGrath, of The Oval, Stainton Grove, Barnard Castle, pleaded guilty to eight counts of fraud between 2017 and 2021.
Christopher Knox, mitigating, said his client was trying to repay all of the money owed to the customers he failed.
“He is utterly distraught with what he has done. He did get himself into a terrible mess and there is no question about that,” he said.
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“He got himself into a state where he was doing too many jobs, trying to do them and giving excuses which weren’t true.”
Judge Richard Clews sentenced McGrath to a total of 15 months for his ‘cynical’ and persistent offending over a five-year period.
“It is difficult to understand how you could have acted in such ways, still less, how you could have continued for the length of time that you did,” he said.
“This appears to me to have elements of cynical and deliberate fraud about it. That is justified by the number and extent of promises and excuses that you made in relation to things you said you would do.”
Owen Cleugh from Durham County Council said: “Over a number of years, Mr McGrath misled customers by taking payment for works and failing to carry out or complete what was agreed. These people have been left trying to undo any poor-quality workmanship and claim back financial losses. It is for this reason that we are committed to tackling rogue traders and we are pleased this case has brought successful legal action.
“We would always encourage residents to use a trusted trader scheme when looking for someone to carry out work on a property or garden."
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