IT’S LEE KING...HE’S A ROGUE PLUMBER
Phoney name of callous conman
A ROGUE plumber conned trusting victims out of thousands of pounds by using false aliases – including Lee King.
Damon Owens, 34, used a number of fake business names to hide previous convictions from customers checking him out online.
And he even wrote bogus reviews praising his non-existent companies.
One of the plumbing businesses was called UK Emergency Plumber and he set up another under the name Lee King, Cardiff Crown Court heard.
Other phoney company names included Cardiff Construction, Scarlets Electrical, Emergency Plumbers Bristol and Drain Repair UK.
Prosecutor Ieuan Bennett told the court: “He was using a false name because he has previous convictions and was trying to reduce the prospect of publicity.”
Owens demanded almost £34,000 to build an extension for the Hulland family, but then left the job halfway through when he had been paid a £16,875 deposit.
The Hullands were left with a huge hole in their garden and had to employ other contractors to finish their refurbishments.
Mr Bennett said Owens told another customer he had been shot in the back of the head while serving with the Royal Marines.
The prosecutor added: “He told her he’d been on active service in Bosnia when he was injured.”
Adjourning the case for his military record to be checked, Judge Phillip Harris-Jenkins said: “He is a fraudster and I do not take the word of convicted fraudsters.”
Owens, of Caerphilly, admitted 13 charges of undertaking a deceptive practice. He will be sentenced in April.