A rogue London-based builder who scammed customers out of over £100,000 has been jailed for three years after a lengthy investigation by authorities.
Aaron Lee Taylor, 36, was found guilty of three counts of Fraudulent Trading by a jury at Snaresbrook Crown Court.
This comes after a complex investigation by Barking and Dagenham Council’s Trading Standards team and the National Trading Standards Tri-Regional Investigation Team.
Over a period of two years, Taylor took on six building projects, for which he took payment, before demanding additional money and then abandoning the work, often leaving the homes in a dangerous or barely habitable state.
He took thousands from his victims, who were left facing further repair bills, and in some cases, with unsafe homes.
Taylor, who was described as a “cowboy builder” in court, worked under a number of aliases to conduct his scams, including Aaron Stokes, Paul Smith, and Aran Taylor, to obscure his identity.
He also created fake company names, including Elite Master Contractors Ltd and EMC Building & Landscaping Ltd, to appear legitimate to prospective customers.
He was handed a three-year sentence on January 23 on each count, which will run concurrently.
The council will now seek to recover funds through a confiscation process under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
Councillor Syed Ghani, Cabinet Member for Enforcement and Community Safety, said: “Protecting residents from rogue traders is one of our top priorities, and I’m proud of the work our Trading Standards team and TRIT have done to secure this outcome. This sentence sends a clear message that we will not tolerate those who exploit people in their own homes.
“We will now push ahead with confiscation proceedings to ensure the proceeds of these crimes are recovered.”
Lord Michael Bichard, Chair of National Trading Standards, described Taylor’s acts as “calculated, repeated offending that saw people exploited in their own homes.”
He went on, “This criminal abused trust to take money for work that was never finished and left victims facing financial loss, emotional distress, and, in some cases, dangerous living conditions.”
“Time behind bars sends a clear message that those who set out to defraud homeowners will be investigated thoroughly and held to account. I would urge anyone concerned about a trader’s behaviour to report it so others are protected from similar harm.”
In the aftermath of Taylor’s offences, residents have been reminded to be wary of cold callers offering repair work, especially those trying to pressure them into quick decisions.
Anyone who wants to report a rogue trader should do so by calling the Citizens Advice consumer service helpline on 0808 223 1133 or to the council by emailing tradingstandards@lbbd.gov.uk.
