Cowboy builder who preyed on vulnerable clients jailed
A COWBOY builder who scammed more than 50 homeowners out of nearly £650,000 has been jailed for five years.
Lawrence Martin, 36, “took advantage” of vulnerable customers, a court heard. He pressured clients into paying tens of thousands of pounds in deposits to ensure work could begin, before declaring more and more work needed doing as costs soared.
One couple lost more than £110,000 as a result of his fraud, while dozens of victims were left with wrecked homes and their life-savings cleaned out during a campaign of fraud which lasted a “very long time”.
The court heard how Martin demanded more and more money from his victims, despite no job ever getting finished, telling one customer “you got more chance of winning the lottery” than getting a refund.
Over a near five-year period, the father-of-four – who had no official roofing qualifications – left clients in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in tears and some having to change the locks to stop him returning, it was heard.
Ethu Crorie, prosecuting, told the court his offending was split in two periods, while sole director of Eastleigh-based firm CLJ roofing and when he continued with his own personal bank account, between January 2018 and October 2022.
Vulnerable clients included a widow, those with disabilities, and the family of a terminally ill man. Mr Crorie said: “Pressure was placed on customers to agree to the work quickly, potential dates for starting the work were suggested but would only be available if a deposit was paid.”
One couple, from Alresford, near Winchester, lost £48,794 and had to spend a further £40,000 fixing poor building work carried out by Martin.
He also told a querying customer he did not have membership to the Competent Roofer scheme – but that “90 per cent of roofers did not have it either”.
Jennifer Brenton, defending, said Martin’s trading “was not fraudulent from the outset”, but admitted he “erroneously” identified work to be done.
Judge Peter Henry said: “He may be incompetent at building, but he is not incompetent at defrauding people.”
Admitting two counts of fraudulent trading and one of fraud, Martin was jailed for five years at Southampton Crown Court.
He was also made subject of a 10-year Criminal Behaviour Order, barring him from any kind of building or roofing work.