A former professional footballer fleeced customers of his roofing business out of thousands of pounds and blew it on his crippling gambling addiction.
Brian Hunter, a qualified and skilled roofer, pocketed £46,000 from three victims for work that was either substandard, not done or only partially done - and even took money from an elderly couple which they had set aside for their funerals.
Newcastle Crown Court heard Gateshead trading standards received a number of complaints about Hunter, who was trading as Premier Roofing and Building Developments North East. Penny Hall, prosecuting, said: "Each complainant paid significant sums for him to do work to their homes or other property and received partial work which was substandard and one received no work at all."
