Scam builder brought to justice
A builder who scammed a Bilborough resident out of nearly £6,000 has been brought to justice.
Jason Clarke was handed a suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court earlier this week.
Clarke has also been ordered to repay £4,796.55p to the victim.
The householder had arranged for a number of quotes in April 2019 to remove a wall and fit a new kitchen. Over the next fortnight, a total of £5,680 was sent in bank transfers to Mr. Clarke for the purchase of materials.
No receipts were provided despite repeated requests, and by the end of the month Clarke had failed to start any work and was no longer contactable.
Following a prosecution brought by Nottingham City Council’s Trading Standards department – the second brought against him in under 12 months – Clarke was given a suspended nine-week prison sentence and ordered to complete 120 hours of unpaid work.
The 35-year-old had previously admitted three charges of fraud in July 2019, for which he was sentenced to nine months in prison, suspended for two years, and 150 hours of unpaid work. He was also ordered to repay £3,067 to his three Nottingham victims.
Councillor Sam Webster, portfolio holder for finance, growth and the city centre, said: “This is the second time that Trading Standards has brought this individual before the courts for targeting people in Nottingham. Our Community Protection staff work tirelessly to protect the public and will continue to do so.
“Mr Clarke clearly has no regard for the impact that this type of fraud has on its victims. People are left thousands of pounds out of pocket, their home in a state of disrepair and their confidence shaken.
“We hope this is the last we see of Mr Clarke in Nottingham but he can be assured that we will vigorously investigate any further reports we might get about him, or any other rogue trader operating in this area.”
Webster added: “Our advice is always to seek two or three quotes for any job, and try to take recommendations for reliable and reputable tradespeople. Never sign up to anything, or agree a job, on the doorstep or after a quick search on the internet or social media.
“What can often compound the situation is that victims are reluctant to come forward and report the rogue trader because they feel embarrassed about admitting they were deceived into handing over money.
“However, it’s really important that they do contact us in those circumstances. We will investigate any incident like this and as well as being able to warn other people, we can secure prosecutions against offenders providing we have the evidence to put before the courts.”
