A Newtownabbey business owner has been ordered to pay compensation to his victim over "exceptionally poor" quality work on a patio.
Barney Doherty, 23, from Longlands Avenue in the town, who was was trading as 'Drives and Patios', was ordered to pay compensation of £2,750 to his victim.
He pleaded guilty to two charges under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 and was given a conditional discharge.
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Those charges were of failing to carry out work to a professional standard of skill and care and of failing to provide documentation, including the consumer’s cancellation rights, as required by law.
It related to work done in August 2021 in Belfast, where the victim had contacted him after seeing his business advertised on Facebook.
He agreed to lay paving stones at the front and back of the property for a price of £2,500 and arrived the next day to start the work.
As the work progressed he received payment but in September 2021, he demanded further payment, for work which the homeowner said they had not requested.
This included cleaning the roof and repointing the front boundary wall - in total, the victim paid £3,350 to Doherty.
The victim then complained to the Trading Standards Service (TSS), which carried out an investigation.
That investigation revealed that the work was of an "exceptionally poor quality" in relation to the repointing of the boundary wall and it also uncovered that some of the paving stones had actually covered over drainage outlets.
The chartered building surveyors' report put the cost of remedial work for the paving and repointing at £2,150 (plus VAT).
Alison Gilchrist of the TSS said: "This is another example of a trader carrying out poor quality and overpriced work, leaving his victim with a huge bill to get the job completed properly.
"At a time of rising prices and increased cost of living, it’s hugely important for consumers to have confidence in local tradespeople and to expect good quality and professional services.
"TSS remains committed to investigating those traders that take advantage of consumers and do not comply with the law."
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