OAP tricked out of £45k
A PENSIONER was scammed out of more than £45,000 by three fraudsters who overcharged her for unnecessary work, some of which they didn’t even do.
Three men defrauded the elderly Atherstone resident out of thousands of pounds in just three and a half months, after earning her trust.
Andrew Riley, Steven Downey and Craig Steven Downey, have been sentenced after taking advantage of the elderly woman, following a hearing at Coventry Crown Court.
Salesman Riley was recognised by the woman when he turned up on her door offering loft insulation, as he had sold her other products in the past.
He was working for Thermacoat Ltd on a commission only salary, and he measured up, and overestimated the amount of foam insulation needed and then charged her the inflated price of £97 per square metre.
The pensioner’s work was quoted to cost more than £14,000 but it should have cost no more than £6,000.
It was all done to boost Riley’s sales income and the extra insulation that was given didn’t even provide any financial benefit to the home, which already had loft insulation that met current standards. Riley. 54, of Turnberry Avenue, in Kirkby in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison after being found guilty of two fraud offences at a trial in October. Thermacoat Ltd, the company Riley was working for, employed father and son team Steven and Craig Downey to carry out the work, trading under the name Ecoseal Installation Services UK. The duo earned the trust of the homeowner, building up a relationship where she followed their guidance on the need and price of the work that they recommended. After installing the £14,099 spray foam insulation that Riley had quoted, they falsely claimed that existing insulation in her loft had ‘gone off’ and needed replacing, charging her a further £12,000 for the unnecessary work. They then charged her £11,000 for more unnecessary work – a cavity wall insulation. This work couldn’t possibly have been carried out because the cavity walls had already been filled with insulation material some years earlier. The Downeys, of Heather Close in East Sussex, went on to claim that other work would be needed including ridge tile and chimney re-pointing and roof painting, charging her £8,300 for the job, which was overpriced, not needed and carried out to a very poor standard.
Warwickshire Trading Standards were alerted to what happened after the father and son team caused a gas leak whilst ‘working’ at the property and had to call in a plumber to repair the damage.
Plumber Suresh Jhamat was concerned that the Downeys were not using basic safety equipment and that the work they were doing was unnecessary and overpriced. The court awarded £500 to Mr Jhamat, who trades as Tees & Joints, Wolverhampton for pointing out the problem.
Steven Downey, 59, was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to five fraud offences at an earlier hearing, and Craig Downey, 34, has been sentenced to 18 months, suspended for two years, and ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid work after pleading guilty to three fraud offences at an earlier hearing.
Warwickshire County Councillor John Horner, portfolio holder for community safety said: “We all know the devastating impact rogue traders can have upon the lives of their victims. I am delighted that Warwickshire Trading Standards are protecting vulnerable members of our community by investigating these terrible cases and bringing successful prosecutions.”
I am delighted Trading Standards are protecting vulnerable members of our community by investigating these terrible cases and bringing successful prosecutions. Coun John Horner