26 May 2023 , 21:46
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A cowboy builder caused £78,000 from a disability grant and then accused the homeowner of "playing the disability card" when he failed to complete the work.
Billee Hopkinson, 35, pocketed money from a disability grant handed to him when he was tasked to convert a mother's garage for her disabled daughter.
A court heard the man's shoddy workmanship "left chaos and devastation in its wake" for the despairing mum, Katrina Raynor, and other victims.
But Hopkinson was jailed for 20 months on Friday after pleading guilty to three offences under the Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, reports Lancs Live.
Hopkinson, from Preston, will spend 20 months behind bars (Lancs Live/MEN Media)Sitting at Preston Crown Court, Judge Unsworth KC said the offences were so serious he had no choice but to jail Hopkinson, who had been under pressure during the Covid pandemic and his mental health had declined.
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The judge said: "I am satisfied that you would quote for work and go on to do work which had no prospect of being competed satisfactorily, or at all. The company was failing but you went on to take on more work.
"I am satisfied you were deceiving your victims. They all believed you were a reputable builder and your company was a sound entity. There is no doubt substantial distress has been caused.
"You had no knowledge or skills in, not only construction, but building standards."
Ms Raynor applied for a grant from South Ribble Borough Council to convert her garage for her disabled daughter in 2020.
She hired Hopkinson to carry out the work to create a separate bedroom and bathroom, and agreed a start date of August 31. Hopkinson said the work would be finished by Christmas, but it soon became apparent there were problems with the project, the court heard.
Six months after the work began, Ms Raynor was so frustrated she told Hopkinson he was not to return to the property near Leyland, Lancashire. Hopkinson accused her of fraud and said she was "playing the disability card" - after taking £13,500 of funds from the grant.
A building surveyor for South Ribble Council visited the home and noted a number of concerns. Ms Raynor had to use her own money to pay for the work to be redone and her daughter had to leave her volunteer position as she was so distressed by what had happened.
But days after the building surveyor visited Ms Raynor's home, Hopkinson took on a second project. He agreed to complete a loft conversion for Katie Sowerby at a cost of £24,300.
The case was heard at Preston Crown Court (PA)Ms Sowerby had researched builders online and came across Hopkinson on Trust A Trader. However the rogue trader later told police one of his reviews, which described "a very respectful and reliable service", had been written by a friend for a joke. Another was written by his wife, he said.
Hopkinson, from Preston, Lancashire, had no building qualifications when he traded under the name Ultra Restore Ltd in 2020, the court was told.
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And in November 2021, building control put a stop to the work on Ms Sowerby's house, as it was so badly done it was causing damage to a neighbouring property. Part of the roof was missing and the house was not even waterproof.
By this point, Ms Sowerby had handed over £13,000 to Hopkinson, but building control valued the work at zero.
As a result of the poor workmanship, Ms Sowerby's home was so cold and damp that her baby developed breathing difficulties and was admitted to hospital. Her other child spent time away from the family home as it was too uncomfortable, the court heard.
Both Ms Raynor and Ms Sowerby were forced to borrow money to put right the damage left by Hopkinson.
In August 2021, Annabel Isherwood contacted Hopkinson through Trust A Trader and agreed to pay £78,000 for an extension.
Ms Isherwood made the transfer, but began researching the company on social media and discovered it was "no more". Hopkinson had not informed Ms Isherwood that the company had folded.
Ms Isherwood described her experience with Hopkinson as "the worst experience of my life". The subject dominated the conversations between her and her husband and they could not afford the thousands it would take to remedy the situation.
"The house was a mess," Judge Unsworth KC said.
"It has caused tension with the neighbours and family life has been affected."
Hopkinson's defence counsel told the judge the man's mental health had suffered since the pandemic.