Rogue trader prosecuted
A rogue builder who took large cash payments from customers upfront, but then failed to complete the work agreed, has been jailed for fraud.
Anthony New, 36, is from Pelaw in Gateshead. He was prosecuted for defrauding 10 victims who lost a total of £44,000.
New was sentenced to two years and five months in prison. The judge commented that only custody was appropriate.
New will serve at least 40% of his sentence, and he is disqualified for 10 years from being a director.
Trading Standards first received a complaint about New in June 2021 when he was trading under the name WR & Sons Building and Plumbing.
A further three complaints were received about building works which had not been completed and the poor standard of the work and New was invited in for interview in November 2021.
A decision was made to prosecute and New was summonsed to court in September 2022.
Whilst the initial prosecution was ongoing, further complaints were received by Trading Standards, with New using the trading names EJS Group and Platinum Building and Plumbing.
He always went by the name Anthony, but used several surnames - New, Watson and Ridley.
His usual approach was to take large upfront payments which effectively tied the complainants to him.
He would then start some work, which was carried out to a poor standard, before either not returning or returning sporadically.
He told numerous lies about why he could not attend. Many of those could be proved to be false. For example, claiming to have had a heart attack, but within a couple of days he was at someone else's property quoting for work.
He also claimed his whole family had to isolate because of Covid but his bank statements showed he was visiting suppliers and retail premises in that period.
New pleaded guilty to 12 offences under the Fraud Act 2006 and the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 relating to 10 victims with homes in Gateshead, Newcastle and North Tyneside. The work included roofing, driveways, bathrooms and building a garage and a porch.
The Council instructed an expert witness to inspect some of the work, including three complete roof replacements.
In his evidence, the witness stated that the work was completely unfit for purpose, with the value of the works being minimal and the only value would be from the salvage of the materials used.
Victim impact statements were read out in the court and these showed that the losses incurred by these victims extended far beyond the initial cost. They included additional costs to rectify New's works and the emotional impact on New's victims, which was significant.
Anneliese Hutchinson, strategic director for economy, innovation and growth at Gateshead Council, said: "Cases of fraudulent behaviour by rogue contractors can have a devastating impact on their victims.
"I'm glad our officers have taken action to see this individual prosecuted. I would urge anybody with concerns about similar behaviour to contact the council's trading standards team, and they can investigate."
Photo caption: The terrible condition of a porch project in North Shields which Anthony New left unfinished. The wall of the porch belonging to the house next door has been used as one of the walls for the new porch under construction.
A rogue builder who took large cash payments from customers upfront, but then failed to complete the work agreed, has been jailed for fraud.
Anthony New, 36, is from Pelaw in Gateshead. He was prosecuted for defrauding 10 victims who lost a total of £44,000.
New was sentenced to two years and five months in prison. The judge commented that only custody was appropriate.
New will serve at least 40% of his sentence, and he is disqualified for 10 years from being a director.
Trading Standards first received a complaint about New in June 2021 when he was trading under the name WR & Sons Building and Plumbing.
A further three complaints were received about building works which had not been completed and the poor standard of the work and New was invited in for interview in November 2021.
A decision was made to prosecute and New was summonsed to court in September 2022.
Whilst the initial prosecution was ongoing, further complaints were received by Trading Standards, with New using the trading names EJS Group and Platinum Building and Plumbing.
He always went by the name Anthony, but used several surnames - New, Watson and Ridley.
His usual approach was to take large upfront payments which effectively tied the complainants to him.
He would then start some work, which was carried out to a poor standard, before either not returning or returning sporadically.
He told numerous lies about why he could not attend. Many of those could be proved to be false. For example, claiming to have had a heart attack, but within a couple of days he was at someone else's property quoting for work.
He also claimed his whole family had to isolate because of Covid but his bank statements showed he was visiting suppliers and retail premises in that period.
New pleaded guilty to 12 offences under the Fraud Act 2006 and the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 relating to 10 victims with homes in Gateshead, Newcastle and North Tyneside. The work included roofing, driveways, bathrooms and building a garage and a porch.
The Council instructed an expert witness to inspect some of the work, including three complete roof replacements.
In his evidence, the witness stated that the work was completely unfit for purpose, with the value of the works being minimal and the only value would be from the salvage of the materials used.
Victim impact statements were read out in the court and these showed that the losses incurred by these victims extended far beyond the initial cost. They included additional costs to rectify New's works and the emotional impact on New's victims, which was significant.
Anneliese Hutchinson, strategic director for economy, innovation and growth at Gateshead Council, said: "Cases of fraudulent behaviour by rogue contractors can have a devastating impact on their victims.
"I'm glad our officers have taken action to see this individual prosecuted. I would urge anybody with concerns about similar behaviour to contact the council's trading standards team, and they can investigate."
Photo caption: The terrible condition of a porch project in North Shields which Anthony New left unfinished. The wall of the porch belonging to the house next door has been used as one of the walls for the new porch under construction.
