'Cowboy' builder conned woman, 70, out of £60k

A builder who pressured a 70-year-old woman into paying him more than £60,000 has been given a suspended jail sentence.

Michael McDonald cold-called at the woman's home in Newport in January 2018 and offered to cut the tops off some conifer trees for £400, Telford and Wrekin Council said.

He later returned, claiming the trees were dead and demanded £900 to remove them. He then talked her into paying for more work totalling £60,000, including a £10,000 driveway repair and a £17,000 extension.

According to the authority, the judge at Shrewsbury Crown Court said: “To call Mr McDonald a cowboy is an understatement."

McDonald, 24, from Hodnet in Shropshire, had previously pleaded guilty to two fraud charges and was sentenced on Friday.

The court was told he failed to provide a written quote, invoice or receipt and did not inform the woman of her legal right to cancel the agreement within 14 days.

It also heard he initially quoted her £20,000 for the drive repairs and £20,000 for the extension, before lowering his prices.

When Telford and Wrekin trading standards officials investigated, they valued the work carried out at about £4,000 in total.

The council's deputy leader, Richard Overton, who is responsible for enforcement issues, said "this case serves as a reminder of the serious consequences of fraudulent trading and the exploitation of vulnerable individuals".

His Honour Judge Taylor sentenced McDonald to 24 months' imprisonment, suspended for two years, and ordered him to pay the victim £500 in compensation.

He said McDonald had defrauded and ripped off the victim, behaved in a disgraceful manner and he should be thoroughly ashamed and remorseful.

Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.