Builder receives suspended sentence for defrauding 70-year-old woman of over £60,000

A construction worker has received a suspended prison sentence after coercing a 70-year-old woman into paying him in excess of £60,000. According to Telford and Wrekin Council, Michael McDonald initiated contact with the woman at her Newport residence in January 2018, proposing to trim the tops of conifer trees for £400. Subsequently, he revisited, asserting the trees were deceased and requesting £900 for their removal. He then persuaded her to commission additional services, accumulating charges of £60,000, which encompassed a £10,000 repair for her driveway and a £17,000 extension. The authority reported that the judge presiding over Shrewsbury Crown Court stated: “To call Mr McDonald a cowboy is an understatement.” McDonald, aged 24, residing in Hodnet, Shropshire, had previously admitted guilt to two counts of fraud and received his sentence on Friday. During the court proceedings, it was revealed that he neglected to furnish a written quotation, invoice, or receipt, and failed to inform the woman of her statutory right to cancel the contract within 14 days. Furthermore, evidence presented indicated that he initially quoted £20,000 for the driveway repairs and £20,000 for the extension, prior to reducing these figures. An investigation by Telford and Wrekin trading standards officials determined the actual value of the completed work to be approximately £4,000 in total. Richard Overton, the council’s deputy leader overseeing enforcement matters, commented that “this case serves as a reminder of the serious consequences of fraudulent trading and the exploitation of vulnerable individuals”. His Honour Judge Taylor imposed a sentence of 24 months’ imprisonment on McDonald, which was suspended for a period of two years, and mandated him to pay £500 in compensation to the victim. The judge remarked that McDonald had defrauded and exploited the victim, acted in a reprehensible way, and ought to feel profound shame and regret.