Cowboybuildersarejailed over stringofcruelswindles

Two cowboy builders – one from Larkhall – have been jailed after a string of frauds that included swindling one man out of £56,000.

Cousins William Williamson and Duncan Reid persuaded an elderly couple’s son to pay for repairs that were either not carried out or not done properly.

Airdrie Sheriff Court heard the house in Bearsden was put on the market to pay for care costs after the pensioners moved to sheltered housing.

A cold caller offered to clear the garden and the son’s couple agreed.

However, Williamson, of Larkhall, and Airdrie man Reid then turned up and told the man that roof tiles needed replaced, the chimney stack was in a dangerous condition and wooden joists were rotting.

He made a series of payments but despite repeated requests never received any paperwork.

An independent survey later estimated that repairs needed to the semi-detached house would have cost just £22,000, but no value could be put on the work done by the accused because it was of such a poor standard.

Serial conman Williamson, 39, of Shawlands Crescent, was jailed for three years, while Reid, 33, of Caldercruix Road, was given a two-year prison stretch.

They admitted defrauding the man of £56,000 in January and February 2019.

Williamson also admitted fraudulently obtaining more than £24,000 from three householders in Cumbernauld and East Kilbride. Two of those victims were in their 70s.

Reid further admitted conning an elderly couple in Port Bannatyne, Bute, out of £17,000 and duping a 77-year-old man in Cumbernauld out of £4549.

Defence solicitor Eddie Kelly said Williamson had started off with“good intentions”but became“overwhelmed”by the work involved and“started making excuses”.

Mr Kelly added:“he faced extreme financial pressures at the time.”

Passing sentence, Sheriff Paul Haran said the pair had engaged in“a pattern of despicable offending”and had targeted“elderly and vulnerable individuals”.

In 2017 Williamson was jailed for nearly three years for stealing £8000 from the home of an 89-year-old woman after offering to clean her gutters and defrauding two women out of almost £2000 by failing to carry out work for them.

Last year he was given a 20-month sentence after similar frauds involving three pensioners.