Sentence for home renovator Warren set to time served
Convictions against Calgary home renovator Kieron Warren for failing to fulfil prepaid contracts in a scheme that cost his victims more than $270,000 were upheld Monday.
But Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Kim Nixon said the six-month sentence handed Warren was excessive and reduced his punishment to time served.
Warren spent 22 days behind bars before he was freed on bail pending appeal.
Nixon also cut the $46,000 fine imposed on Warren in half.
Warren was sentenced in June 2017 on multiple charges under the provincial Fair Trading Act in connection with his business dealings with six Calgary families who had hired him for renovations.
Provincial court Judge George Gaschler had convicted Warren in December 2016 under the provincial legislation after he took prepayments from the victims without a required licence, which would have protected the customers against incomplete or poorly finished projects.
At the time of the sentencing one victim, Brian Chubb, who paid Warren more than $28,000 for a kitchen renovation that was never done, said the case was about deterring other renovators from similar conduct.
“This particular situation wasn’t about getting the money back, the restitution ... we’ll probably never see that,” Chubb said, after Gaschler’s ruling.
“This is about stopping an individual who doesn’t want to play by the rules. The fact that he’s being incarcerated, put into jail (is) exactly what we were hoping for.”
At the request of defence lawyer Pawel Milczarek, the appeal judge said Warren will have six months to pay his fines, while the numbered company, which was fined more than $110,000, has a year to pay.