Cowboy Preston roofer Steven Lee Jr 'on the run' after failing to attend £176k fraud prison sentence
Police are hunting a cowboy roofer after he failed to turn up at court to be sentenced for a £176,000 fraud.
A judge had to postpone the hearing for a second time because Steven Lee Jnr jumped bail and stayed away instead of facing angry victims who were packed into the public gallery in Preston.
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Judge Ian Unsworth was told that despite a warrant being issued at a previous hearing in December for the arrest of the 38-year-old rogue trader from Bartle near Preston he had still not been apprehended.
His co-accused Eli Young stood alone in the dock as the judge apologised to householders, mostly pensioners, swindled out of thousands of pounds that they could not have their day in court as planned.
“At the moment Mr Lee has not been apprehended,” he told them. “And it may be unwise of me to proceed in his absence at this stage.
“This can’t go on for ever. There may come a point where the court has to deal with this in his absence.”
Lee and Young were due to be sentenced over allegations that eight victims parted with their life savings for roofing work which was unnecessary and sub-standard. They are accused of grossly overcharging for work, acting aggressively towards householders to part with more money and leaving roofs in an exposed and dangerous state.
The total the men are claimed to have swindled was £176,600.
Lee Jnr, of Rosemary Lane, Bartle, has pleaded guilty to eight offences of fraud by misrepresentation. Young, also of Rosemary Lane, has admitted fraud by false representation for his part in the roofing business.
Their victims come from across the North West including Stockport and Halton in Cheshire.
Lee’s father Steven Lee Snr, also of Bartle, pleaded guilty to running a fraudulent business in the name of Drysky Property Maintenance but died in October 2023 aged 60 before he could be sentenced.
Lee Jnr and Young were said to have carried out the work under the company names Dedicated Roofing Solutions and Elite Roofing Solutions.
The case follows separate investigations by Stockport Trading Standards, Halton Trading Standards and Lancashire Police.
When the case appeared before Judge Unsworth last year he said it had been a huge task to bring all the cases together and there was a wealth of evidence in what had been a very complex case.
When Lee Jnr failed to show up on December 12 to face the music he issued a warrant for his immediate arrest. Yet a month on the judge was told the police had still not managed to catch him.
Young’s defence barrister said his client, who he described as “something of a gopher” in the roofing swindle, had turned up and was ready to be sentenced. He wanted to know his fate “sooner rather than later”.
Patrick Buckley, representing the absent Lee Jnr, told the judge: “I am in the dark about his whereabouts. I sent a letter and email last week reminding Mr Lee that there was a warrant out for his arrest and the case was listed today. As of this morning there has been no response.
Judge Unsworth said: “I am not in a position to deal with this case (today). I need to hear from the police as to what efforts they have made so far. I need information about when the police have tried to reach him.
“I am not satisfied it would be prudent to sentence Mr Young on his own. But if I determine that Mr Lee maybe unavailable for some time then, on the next occasion, I am mindful to sentence Mr Young on his own.
“The victims here in court are particularly frustrated, as is everyone, and that is understandable.”
Judge Unsworth adjourned the case until January 27 for a progress report and he said victims who could not attend on that day could see proceedings via a video link at home.
“I am sorry for all those attending today, but it is all down to Mr Lee’s absence.”
Lee Jnr and his late father had previous convictions after conning pensioners out of thousands of pounds.
Lee Snr was jailed in 2013 after he and his son were prosecuted over shoddy workmanship. Bolton Crown Court heard they carried out work on pensioners’ homes and handed them massive bills.
The work was so poor that victims in the Brandlesholme area of Bury had to get other builders in to put it right – leaving an even bigger hole in their savings.
One of their victims, a 69-year-old woman, paid Lee Snr more than £15,000 for the work he carried out in 2012, but had to pay more than £8,800 to another company to get it put right.
An 81-year-old man paid £1,300 for work carried out on his roof in 2011 and then had to pay another tradesman £200.
The total paid out by the two pensioners, including cash to rectify the work, came to £25,485.
At the time Lee Snr admitted five charges under the Consumer Protection of Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 and was sent to prison for three months. His defence claimed he had given up roofing work because he was “terrified” of the consequences and was instead selling second-hand clothes and bedding on a market stall.
Lee Jnr was handed a community order with 150 hours of unpaid work after admitting two charges in relation to work done on the woman’s house.