'Manipulative' gardener conned clients out of £35k

A "manipulative" rogue trader who conned his customers out of £35,000 has been given a suspended jail sentence and ordered to pay thousands of pounds in compensation.

Adam Fox, of Primrose Hill, in Haverhill, Suffolk, defrauded 12 clients while operating under the name Foxy Landscaping and Gardening Maintenance.

The 35-year-old had previously pleaded guilty to fraudulent trading by a sole trader between August 2021 and October 2022.

At Ipswich Magistrates' Court, Fox was given a 12-month sentence, suspended for 24 months, and told he must repay more than £10,000 in compensation.

The court heard how Fox would ask customers for a 50% deposit, often totalling thousands of pounds ahead of carrying out any works.

The father-of-three would then either fail to complete the projects for which he had received payment or perform the tasks but to a "poor quality".

One victim employed Fox to do £10,000 worth of work in her garden, which she asked to be completed by June 2022 in time for a prom event for her daughter.

She paid a 50% deposit of about £5,000 upfront but said Fox would often leave early and the paving slabs he did lay turned out to be "faulty".

His workmanship was described as being so bad that she ended up having to pay out £14,000 for the work to be rectified, which finally took place in January 2023.

On another occasion, after taking a large payment from a customer, he repeatedly told them the delivery of the materials required for the job had been delayed.

His customer, however, grew suspicious and visited the suppliers of the materials herself, before being informed Fox had never actually placed an order with them.

The court was also told how another victim had been left feeling "stupid" and "angry at herself", having previously written articles about how to spot a rogue trader.

Another had told Suffolk Trading Standards they felt "embarrassed" after being scammed and "no longer trusted any tradespeople because of Fox's behaviour".

The court was told Fox would make "numerous excuses" for delays or failing to finish the work, often saying his father had died or either his wife or son were in hospital.

Customers had trusted Fox due to the fact his business was attached to about 400 positive reviews online – reviews they have since concluded must have been fake.

During the hearing, it was said that Fox had claimed the business was "legit at the start" but "suffered a number of setbacks" due to his mental health and financial issues.

It was also said that Fox, who was told his business venture had "failed miserably" as he sat without emotion in the dock, had refunded some of the money to his victims.

"It was always going to catch up with him eventually," said Ms Laura Austin, representing Suffolk Trading Standards.

After some of the customers received partial refunds, the total loss to victims was £20,000.

Fox is also required to complete 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 120 hours of unpaid work.

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