Man facing jail over his bogus building warrant

COURT: Consultant gave customer false certificate for house

A construction consultant, who supplied a fake building warrant to a Dunfermline man having his home extended, has been warned he could be sent to prison.

It was only when the project was complete that Fife Council told the home owner it should not have gone ahead.

The bogus paperwork was supplied by Derek Mccafferty, who has now appeared in the dock at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

Mccafferty, 47, of Malcolm Street, Dunfermline, admitted that on December 23 2016 and September 7 2017 at Cedar Grove, he uttered as genuine a building warrant and completion certificate for a building extension to Adam Thomson.

The court heard Mccafferty had analogous previous conviction from 2015.

Depute fiscal Katherine Fraser said Mccafferty runs his own construction consultancy business, Draft 4 Design.

He was hired to do work for a home owner who wanted to extend his house in Dunfermline.

Work was progressing as planned and the home owner asked about the building warrant. Mccafferty supplied one but it turned out to be bogus.

The building standards department was later notified that the extension was completed and it was only then it emerged there was no building warrant for the project.

When checks were carried out on the warrant Mccafferty had supplied it was seen that the reference number matched with one previously given to him for a property in Newburgh.

When later interviewed by police Mccafferty said it was an “error”. However, he then admitted falsely creating the warrant. Asked why, he replied: “No idea”.

He added he felt he had become friends with the home owner and that he “didn’t want to let him down.”

The depute said the home owner estimated it had cost him £4,500 to put matters right with the authorities.

Sheriff James Macdonald commented that Mccaffery “was quite fortunate there was no order made for demolition.”

Defence solicitor Russel Mcphate said his client is a qualified architect but does not belong to any professional body.

Sheriff Macdonald called for reports and Mccafferty will be sentenced on 19th February.

The sheriff warned Mccafferty he could be facing a jail sentence.

“Home owner estimated it had cost him £4,500 to put matters right