'Class A rogue' builder told customer family members had died 'multiple times'

28 February 2024 , 09:05

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Paving firm boss James Henderson defrauded customers of cash deposits

Victims of a "Class A rogue" - who conned clients out of £20,000 for paving work - have spoken out.

James Henderson admitted to defrauding clients out of thousands as he took people's deposits and ran. Slammed as a "weekend millionaire", the 58-year-old used his victim's cash to fund his flashy image, posting images online of a 4x4 with a personalised number plate.

The victims spoke as Henderson, from Kingskettle, Fife, pled guilty to four charges of fraud at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court. One person was scammed by as much as £9,000 by Henderson, who operated by quoting clients for paving work, taking a deposit, then not showing up.

Customers explained how Henderson would come up with excuses - from illnesses to bereavements - then just seemed to vanish. Brutal online reviews laid bare his MO, branding him a "Class A rogue".

Lorraine Brown, 60, told how she handed him 50% of £4,000 for work on her driveway, describing initially as "plausible". But when Henderson began coming up with excuses, with members of his family dying "multiple times", Lorraine took to Facebook and found she wasn't alone.

'Most impersonated woman' used by scammers to steal from thousands of men

Lorraine took to Facebook after paying Henderson £4,000 for work he never showed up for

It later transpired how the crook had scammed multiple other victims, including an elderly woman in Dundee from whom he took £3,000. "He said he wanted a 50% deposit. It was me who transferred the money over and it caused a lot of stress," Lorraine told the Daily Record.

"We were chasing and chasing through emails, phoning and texting. But it was excuse after excuse. He said family members had died multiple times, then he had Covid. He just never turned up.

"I got so fed up I put it on Facebook and a lot of people came out the woodwork, messaging me direct. We eventually got our £4,000 back from the bank. We were very lucky but others may not have been so lucky."

Fife Council's Trading Standards team carried out an investigation into Henderson and submitted a report to the Procurator Fiscal. He admitted the string of charges ahead of being due to face trial this month.

As well as defrauding cash from Lorraine's husband in Kirkcaldy, Henderson admitted scamming one Buckhaven victim out of £9,100 for landscaping a driveway and garden work. He also admitted taking the £3,000 from an elderly female customer for the promise of a new patio and brickwork cleaning, and another £4,000 from a customer for a patio refurb in Limekilns.

He had faced two further charges of defrauding two other customers out of almost £4,000 in Cupar and Cardenden, with the Crown accepting not guilty pleas to these charges. The charges related to cash taken from victims between July 2021 and September 2022 when Henderson "had no intention of carrying out the said work".

Another victim, who did not want to be identified, told how their dealings with the tradesman had caused them "a lot of stress". They said: "The fact he has pled guilty has put a bit of closure on this for us."

As well as advertising his paving services on social media, Henderson posted a picture of an expensive Range Rover with private reg when he was deceiving customers in September 2022. By then, negative reviews of his business were already racking up online.

One posted in April 2022 said: "The guy is a class A rogue, a weekend millionaire. But time is catching up with him." Another in April last year said: "The man is a rogue and takes your money and runs. Always giving me excuses for the bad weather, bad health, doctors appointments, hospital appointments...etc etc" Henderson will face sentence next month.

Sally Hind