A tradesman has been handed a 43-month custodial sentence at Bristol Crown Court today (April 27) after pleading guilty to running a fraudulent business.
Daniel Denison, 60, of Kingsteignton, Devon, was paid significant amounts of money by homeowners for building work which he either failed to complete or never even started, between October 1, 2016 and April 30, 2018. He took substantial deposits from his customers but delivered the building works to a poor standard.
He also failed to apply for planning permission when required, requested additional payments for so-called 'extras' or left jobs unfinished. Completion deadlines for building work were missed and calls from those customers he had taken money from were repeatedly ignored.
Read more: 'Parasite' former head of finance jailed after £1.2million fraud to fund his lavish lifestyle
Denison used ratedpeople.com to obtain leads for work and would send out a salesman to provide a quote for the job. Once the customer agreed to the work, they paid a 10 per cent deposit and while in some cases works did commence, frequently it would then be months before they heard anything from him, with completion deadlines passing before works even commenced.
Wendy Martin, director at National Trading Standards, said: “Mr Denison deliberately deceived trusting homeowners who handed over hard earned money for building work that was either never started or left unfinished. As a result, homeowners have lost significant sums of money.
“Today’s sentence is another reminder that this type of criminality will not go unpunished, and I hope it brings some semblance of justice to the victims. If you or someone you know, has fallen victim to a fraud like this you should report it to the Citizens Advice consumer service helpline by calling 0808 223 1133.”
Avon and Somerset Police said that for eight victims, no works were ever carried out, yet no refund was ever given. Mr Denison would become increasingly hard to contact, with workers sporadically turning up on site.
Further demands for money would be made despite the slow progress and poor quality of work not matching the sums already handed over. When customers refused to pay over more money, he would withdraw builders from the site and, on many occasions, never return to complete the job.
This left customers helpless, with most having to pay out more money to other tradesmen to finish the job. While there were customers who did have jobs completed, Denison would frequently demand further sums for ‘extras’ and fail to return to rectify issues.
Building work that was carried out was to a substandard quality, including:
- A plank being the only access to the property for months for an elderly lady who required the use of a wheelchair
- Brick ties being incorrectly installed throughout all walls of an extension resulting in Building Control condemning it and it having to be knocked down.
- A gas hob being removed with the gas fittings being left live
- Electrics being installed into an extension that didn’t have a roof and thus was open to the elements
- Foundations dug and left so long they had to be refilled by another company
- French doors fitted incorrectly resulting in water draining into the house.
An investigation led by the National Trading Standards South West Regional Investigations Team, hosted by Bristol City Council, identified a total of 18 victims from Bristol, Bath, Exeter, Plymouth and across the South West, who suffered financial losses totalling £135,000.
Bristol mayor Marvin Rees, who has responsibility for regulatory services at Bristol City Council, said: “This investigation found victims spread across the region, which shows the importance and effectiveness of the National Trading Standards South West Regional Investigations Team.
“People looking to make home improvements trusted Mr Denison and paid him in good faith. What they received in return was poor work or no work at all. The sentence handed to him reflects the seriousness of this case.
“We are proud to host the regional team on behalf of the South West in Bristol, helping to protect consumers across the region, and I congratulate the team for their professionalism in bringing such a prolific offender to justice.”
Want our best stories with fewer ads and alerts when the biggest news stories drop? Download our app on iPhone or Android.
