‘Cowboy builder’ handed 16-month prison term

A COWBOY builder from Leamington Spa who created “mayhem” across the West Midlands has been sentenced to 16 months in prison.

Paul David Henstone, who had previously been declared bankrupt twice, was handed the prison term at Warwick Crown Court for acting as a director while bankrupt and committing fraud by misusing an employee’s identity.

Henstone, 42, has also been disqualified from acting as a company director, managing or in any way controlling a company for five years, following an investigation by the Company Investigations team of The Insolvency Service.

He pleaded guilty to one count of acting as a director while bankrupt and three counts of fraud by false representation, the service said.

The court heard that, in November 2005, Henson registered a company called Blackdown Construction and became a director.

He was then made bankrupt for a second time 13 months later, having previously been declared bankrupt in April 2000.

At the time, Henstone was warned by the Official Receiver that he would be committing an offence if he carried on as a director but he did not to resign.

The court also heard that, in March 2008, Henstone registered a new company called Roc Construction and Roofing.

The Insolvency Service said, in order to hide his position with this new company, Henstone arranged for one of his employees to be appointed as a director without the employee’s knowledge.

He then opened three credit accounts with suppliers in this employee’s name and used them, pretending to be him.

Roc was wound up in September 2008 with a deficiency of over £15,000.

Glen Wicks, deputy chief investigation officer at the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, said: “This man is a serial cowboy builder who for many years has created mayhem throughout the West Midlands and devastated the lives of many people.

“People who commit these types of offences need to know that BIS, the Insolvency Service and the courts will crack down on them severely.”