Roofing fraudster handed suspended sentence
A roofing fraudster has been handed a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to two counts of fraud
Stephen Spurling of Station Road, Balsall Common, traded as Red Roofing Ltd and made his guilty plea follow an investigation by Dudley Council’s trading standards. Officers found he had conned a Dudley borough consumer into paying for work that was never completed.
In July 2020, the homeowner had posted an enquiry via nexdoor.co.uk asking for roofer recommendations. He received a message asking if he still needed a roofer and if he would like the company to come out and quote. He responded to the message which resulted in Stephen Spurling visiting his home on July 18, 2020, to provide a quote.
During the visit Spurling provided a leaflet advertising his business which made a number of dishonest claims.
The leaflet stated that Red Roofing Ltd was a family run business with over 20 years’ experience. The reality was that Red Roofing Ltd did not exist and was not a family business.
Spurling quoted a total of £8,000 for the work which he said he would start on July 27, 2020. He requested a deposit of £1,500 for materials which was paid by the homeowner into a bank account, as directed by Spurling.
The work never commenced on July 27, 2020. The only thing that was delivered to the address was an empty skip. The consumer made several attempts to contact Spurling and was given a number of excuses for the failure to start the job.
The homeowner requested their money back in writing from Spurling but was simply ignored, which led to them reporting the case to trading standards.
Spurling was sentenced to 23 weeks imprisonment, to be suspended for two years at Wolverhampton Crown Court on May 2, 2024. He was given 40 RAR (rehabilitation activity requirement) days to reduce the prospect of reoffending and 100 hours of unpaid work.
He was also ordered to pay £4,800 towards costs, which must be paid in monthly instalments of £200 from June 3.
Dr Mayada Abuaffan, director of public health at Dudley Council, said:
This case demonstrates the importance of the service provided by Trading Standards. Officers investigate cases to protect the rights of consumers and to put a stop to the illegal activity of rogue builders who will go to extreme lengths to mislead honest consumers into handing over their money under false pretences.