Warwickshire News Mine

Regional working between Warwickshire County Council Trading Standards Service, Staffordshire County Council and the regions Scambusters team and West Midlands Police led to the conviction of both partners, John Marsden and Stephen Harrison, of building company D & S Builders.

At Warwick Crown Court, David John Marsden pleaded guilty to dishonestly attempting to obtain by deception, obtaining by deception and affray under the Public Order Act. He was sentenced to 36 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 2 years, as well as 60 hours unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay £1200.

Stephen Harrison pleaded guilty to affray under section 4 the Public Order Act 1986. Harrison, who played a lesser part in the running of the business, was ordered to pay £1000 in fines and costs.

Warwickshire Trading Standards Service began initial investigations into the company after receiving a complaint from a consumer. The consumer was unhappy with the quality and standard of the building work. They had paid out a significant amount of money for the work which was never completed.
Further investigations by officers from Warwickshire Trading Standard Service revealed that D & S Builders were operating in other parts of the region.  In order to pursue a joint prosecution the case was handed to the Scambusters team to engage at a regional level.

Sentencing in Warwick Crown Court in December 2008, the Judge stressed the seriousness of the offences that Marsden had committed and told him that the work done by him was the same as that done by other ‘cowboy builders’. He highlighted how Marsden kept returning to his victims for more money as the jobs were progressing.

Marsden, who is no longer involved in the construction trade, was warned by the Judge to keep out of the building trade otherwise he could be expected to be a ‘marked man’, and that if similar offences came before a court, then it is likely that he would be imprisoned. Harrison, who is still employed within the double glazing industry as a fitter, was also warned as to his future conduct within the building trade.

The prosecution case showed how Marsden and Harrison had embarked on a regime of quoting for and taking on work, taking an initial deposit and a subsequent second amount from the consumers, but never actually completing the jobs.

Their actions, the Judge said, were unpleasant and caused distress to the victims. In one case, they had issued verbal threats to the householder to scare them into paying sums allegedly owed.

Warwickshire County councillor Richard Hobbs, Portfolio Holder for Community Protection said “Unscrupulous traders need to be warned that by working with Scambusters, Warwickshire Trading Standards Service has even more resource and intelligence at its disposal.  Prosecuting such cowboy traders ensures that Warwickshire consumers and legitimate businesses are better protected.

Link to WCC