18 December 2024 , 20:39
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A rogue builder who ripped off homeowners across the West Midlands with false promises that led to a need for £1.6m of repairs has been jailed.
Adam Jones, from Crickhowell in Powys, lied to customers and used large upfront payments to buy high-end cars and develop a luxurious barn conversion, Trading Standards said.
Through Shropshire-based Advannnced Construction Ltd, Jones. 41, left victims with unfinished work, committing the offences while he was on remand facing a trial for a similar operation under a different company name.
Appearing at Birmingham Crown Court, Jones admitted fraud and was jailed for three years and nine months.
Jones, from New Road, Crickhowell, mis-sold home improvements to consumers through Advannnced Construction Ltd between April 2021 and June 2023, prosecutors for trading standards said.
The court was told he signed people up to payment plans for contracts ranging from £7,000 to £163,000, but tied them into weekly payments that he then demanded aggressively, even if no work had been carried out that week.
’Intimidation and threats’
One victim paid more than £70,000 for a two-storey extension but has been left with a single-storey breeze block shell, investigators said.
His roof was damaged and now leaks water and previously installed solar panels no longer work. Jones’s victim has been quoted up to £130,000 to complete the build.
Two others paid almost £20,000, believing additional work was required to obtain building control approval, which was false and then no extra work was done.
Jones would also send contractors to some homes to carry out the "bare minimum" work to maintain the illusion the job was continuing and thereby justify demands for payment, Trading Standards said.
When customers raised concerns, Jones resorted to intimidation by threatening to withdraw his workers.
Investigators said he was sentenced in June last year to 20 months’ imprisonment for the offences carried out under a different company name.
’Fobbing victims off’
He was prosecuted by the National Trading Standards Regional Investigations Team through Birmingham City Council.
Councillor Sam Forsyth, chair of the council’s licensing and public protection committee, said it was a shocking case that saw people’s hard earned savings spent to fund his lavish lifestyle.
"Fobbing victims off with lies and false promises, the defendant used aggressive sales practices to demand cash from his victims on a weekly basis for work that was either never started, left incomplete or was wholly deficient," Lord Michael Bichard, chair of National Trading Standards, said.
"Mr Jones had no qualms about indulging himself with top-of-the-range vehicles and living in a luxurious barn conversion off the back of what was effectively a pyramid scheme which left consumers thousands of pounds out of pocket."