A rogue landscaper carried out "shoddy" work in a woman's garden which led her to selling her home. He also put pressure on her to pay for more work and accused her of underpaying him by £400.
Jason Jones, 36, of Pontypool, was contacted by his victim after his business was advertised in a residents' handbook in Blackwood. She asked for a quote for a retaining wall to be knocked down and rebuilt in her back garden. The defendant lied in the advertisement by claiming he had a waster carrier licence, which he did not.
A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court heard Jones attended the victim's home and initially gave a quote of £8,700 for work to the wall as well as laying patio paving slabs and steps. He also quoted £6,300 for work on the driveway and £700 for the building of a small wall above the driveway. They agreed on a price of £13,000 with the defendant saying he would start work in July 2021.
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But Jones contacted the victim earlier than expected and said he could start work on May 10, 2021. She arranged to pay him £3,000 for the material via bank transfer. But once the work had started he advised her she needed further work for the installation of a ramp for £5,000. The victim spoke to her daughter and told Jones she did not want a ramp built he continued to "pester" her, which amounted to aggressive commercial practice.
Prosecutor Tom Roberts said as work progressed Jones asked for more money, including sums of £2,500, £5,000, and £5,500 respectively. The final total amount paid to the defendant by the victim came to £17,700 and she had to borrow money from her partner.
Problems became apparent with the work carried out by Jones with a drain overflowing but when she contacted the defendant he told her it "wasn't her problem". He later visited the property and accused the victim of underpaying him by £400, which caused her to be upset.
He told the victim's daughter he would "write off" the £400 if she signed a receipt stating they had paid £7,500 for the work. Mr Roberts said: "It was an attempt to cover his tracks so he could claim he had only been paid £7,500, thereby limiting liability."
An investigation was launched by Caerphilly council trading standards which found there were issues with the foundation of the supporting wall, a non-compliance with various building regulations resulting in steps which were dangerous, while the top of the wall had been left exposed and would deteriorate and the binding on slabs on the pathway had not been done properly. It was found there was a "distinct lack of attention to detail, poor workmanship, and incomplete work". Mr Roberts said the council found the work carried out was worth in the region of £14,000 – almost £4,000 less than what the victim had paid.
Jones, of Mountain Level Caravans, Pontypool, later pleaded guilty to misleading, aggressive, and unfair commercial practices. The court heard he had one previous conviction for a dissimilar offence.
In a victim personal statement read out to the court the woman said: "I have lost all trust in tradesmen – I am worried they will rip me off and take advantage of me." She said she found the steps in the garden "dangerous" and had sold the property due to the work and was now living with her daughter and son.
In mitigation Christopher Evans said there was only one complainant in the case but his client accepted "the way he did things was wrong" and wished to apologise to the victim. He said the defendant had difficulty reading and writing and was willing to pay his victim compensation. The barrister said the actual loss to the victim was unknown as she had now sold the property.
Judge Richard Williams said Jones "failed to act with due diligence" in relation to the building work. He sentenced the defendant to five months in prison suspended for 12 months. He ordered the defendant to carry out a 21-day rehabilitation activity requirementand 150 hours of unpaid work and made him subject to Proceeds of Crime Act proceedings.
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