‘King of the Cowboys’ faces jail for £5k roof con
A BUILDER dubbed ‘King of the Cowboys’ is facing jail after admitting conning a pensioner out of thousands of pounds for building work that was not needed.
William McPhee and his accomplices have been ripping off elderly homeowners for more than 20 years.
He faces another jail term after admitting duping another pensioner out of their cash by charging them more than double what the job was worth.
McPhee, 50, appeared in the dock at Paisley Sheriff Court charged with conning three pensioners out of a total of £33,700, through scams in Newton Mearns, Giffnock, both Renfrewshire, and Glasgow.
He struck a deal with prosecutors to plead guilty to a charge involving one victim in exchange for the others being dropped.
He pleaded guilty to breaking the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 and the European Communities Act 1972 by ‘engaging in a commercial practice which was aggressive’.
He admitted making an unsolicited visit to Charles Giffard’s home in Glasgow’s affluent Hyndland area, repeatedly demanding payment, phoning him for payment and obtaining £3,000.
Fiscal depute Alan Parfery said McPhee went to the ‘substantial sandstone home’ on June 20, 2014, and introduced himself as Paul. He added: ‘Mr Giffard was advised by the accused that work was required on the roof.’
Another man arrived and McPhee introduced the man, who was not identified in court, as ‘the boss’. Mr Giffard, 82, showed them where he knew he needed his roof fixed.
But ‘the boss’ said he also needed his gable end pointed, six chimney pots needed repaired and cemented and that tiles needed replaced.
Mr Parfery said: ‘Mr Giffard asked for their names and the company name but they were not provided.’
On June 23 they returned at 7.30am, and placed ladders against the property while Mr Giffard went to the bank and withdrew £5,000.
Mr Parfery said: ‘There was no contract, no receipt, no right of cancellation given by any of the persons who attended to carry out the purported works.’
A retired architect friend of Mr Giffard later checked the roof and said the work needing done should have cost only £2,000. McPhee later called demanding a further £2,500 but the matter was reported to police and McPhee was charged.
He was also charged with duping Ezra Golombok, 90, former editor of Glasgow’s Jewish Echo, out of £3,700 at his Newton Mearns home and conning £25,000 out of Malcolm Martin, 73, at his Giffnock property, but both charges were dropped.
Defence solicitor Brian Fitzpatrick said: ‘He is of the travelling community. He was the first person in contact with Mr Giffard but the bulk of the communication was with the person known as “the boss”, who was not the accused.’
Sheriff Seith Ireland adjourned the case for reports and said: ‘I am prepared to look at all options.’
In 2000 McPhee was jailed for four years for preying on the elderly and infirm in frauds that earned him the nickname ‘King of the Cowboys.’ His oldest victim then was a 91-year-old woman charged £20,000 for roofing work which should have cost £800.
‘No contract, no receipt’