Rogue builder Roy Davis who took thousands from victims jailed

A builder has been jailed for taking money from customers up front and then leaving them with poor and unfinished work.

Trading standards officers prosecuted Roy Davis after receiving complaints from Leicestershire homeowners.

He was convicted of two counts of fraud and one of participating in a fraudulent business in a trial at Leicester Crown Court.

The council said Davis had caused his victims stress and anxiety.

Davis, 47, of Kingsway North, Braunstone Town in Leicestershire, was given a four-year prison term for one count of fraud.

He received concurrent sentences of 18 months for a second fraud charge and a further count of participating in a fraudulent business.

The offences took place between June 2018 and January 2020.

The trial heard Davis had previously served an 18-month sentence for breaching consumer protection regulations but immediately, on his release from prison in 2018, he advertised on social media offering a "personalised service whilst creating beautiful homes and we remain on call for all of our customers".

One incident involved a house refurbishment for which Davis took £36,000 from the victim before completion of the work.

An independent expert described the work then carried out by Davis as substandard and unsafe concluding it could be "no more than £6,000 worth but no tradesman would want to put their name to it without starting the job again".

Davis was also given a Criminal Behaviour Order, banning him from working as a builder or related tradesman while running his own company, or advertising his services as a builder or tradesman.

Judge Robert Brown said Davis had not learned anything from his previous conviction and jail term.

He made an order, under the Proceeds of Crime Act, for any money Davis made from the fraud to be confiscated.

Following the hearing, Leicestershire County Council's head of trading standards Gary Connors, said: "Householders invest their savings or take out loans to upgrade their homes.

"When it all goes wrong, it not only impacts consumers financially, but it causes immense stress and anxiety.

"The outcome of this case should send a clear message to those unscrupulous traders who are under the misapprehension that they will no longer appear on the enforcement radar after receiving a previous caution or a conviction."

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