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Rogue Suffolk builder jailed after taking £600k from customers

Suffolk Trading Standards Aland and Katie MiddletonSuffolk Trading Standards
Alan, pictured with his wife Katie Middleton, used the money to fund holidays abroad, cruises and shopping trips

A rogue builder who dishonestly took nearly £600,000 from customers to fund a lavish lifestyle has been jailed.

Alan Middleton, 45, formally from Saxmundham, admitted multiple offences, including fraud and theft.

On Friday, he was sentenced at Wood Green Crown Court to four years and six months in prison.

Sasha Watson from Suffolk Trading Standards, said: "It's looking very unlikely we'll be able to get anything back for those victims."

Middleton, of Merlin Close, Rugby, operated across Suffolk under different company names, including GK Builders, G & K Builders, Middleton Building Services, AGM Custom Construction and AGM Bespoke Construction Limited.

Suffolk Trading Standards began its investigation after receiving reports from customers who had paid for building work that was never completed.

The investigation uncovered Middleton was using various tactics to extract more money from customers, including falsifying supplier invoices and using a fake VAT number.

He also used a forged Federation of Master Builders insurance document to suggest he was insured to perform works.

Suffolk Trading Standards Katie and Alan MiddletonSuffolk Trading Standards
Alan Middleton also used the name Gary to keep people from finding out who he was

Middleton and his wife Katie, 34, were also found to have fraudulently obtained a mortgage for themselves.

She was given a nine-month sentence, suspended for 18 months, and was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £140.

Graham Crisp, head of Suffolk Trading Standards, said Mr Middleton "did whatever he could to extract money" from customers.

"This included falsifying invoices to claim £170,000 in VAT despite not being registered, forging insurance documents to mislead people into thinking their properties were protected, and endangering lives by incorrectly stating building control was not required for projects when this was in fact needed," he said.

Suffolk county councillor Andrew Reid said: "Middleton is now reaping the consequences of his actions and I hope his sentencing goes some way towards providing justice for those he exploited."

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