Lancashire man still wanted after rogue traders scam £1m from pensioners by exploiting EastEnders star's image
Rogue builders who used a TV ad featuring an EastEnders star to scam £1 million from pensioners have been jailed - but a Lancashire man remains on the run.
Four men were sentenced for leaving vulnerable victims “living in structurally unstable properties”.
They were convicted of fraudulent trading and criminal property offences at Leeds Crown Court on December 13.
A fifth man, Jordan Coalby, 31, of Stuart Avenue, Bacup, failed to attend court and an arrest warrant was issued.
He had earlier pleaded guilty to concealing, disguising, converting, transferring or removing criminal property.
What did they do?
The gang operated under names like Pilkington Home Improvements and Love Windows Ltd, installing substandard windows in homes.
In one ad, EastEnders star June Brown - who played Dot Cotton - assured viewers there was ‘”no catch” and “no confusing sales offers”.
Another ad, featuring boxer Floyd Mayweather, showcased the company's triple-glazed windows and promised a “15-year guarantee”.
There is no suggestion that either Brown, who died in 2022, or Mayweather were aware of the fraud.
The gang exploited the ‘Green Deal’ initiative, cold-calling customers.
The gang's companies, which exploited the Government’s ‘Green Deal’ initiative, cold-called customers before carrying out shoddy work.
One victim, an 80-year-old man, hired ‘Pilkington Home Improvements’ in 2018 to build an extension after being cold-called by a man named ‘Adam’.
He paid £89,000 for work that, if completed satisfactorily, should only have cost £46,000.
Instead, he was left significantly out of pocket for work which left his home in a dangerous condition.
Another victim hired the company after being told he was eligible for a ‘special offer for over 70s’.
The pensioner was pressured into paying a £1,325 deposit for work which was never started. He has since got his money back.
The shoddy builders were brought down after an investigation led by a trading standards team.
Chair of National Trading Standards, Lord Michael Bichard, said: “These men left many people with extensive remedial works required at their homes; some were left living in structurally unstable properties with no viable means of repairing the damage done due to the financial losses they incurred.
“Today’s sentencing follows a lengthy investigation by Trading Standards officers, and I would like to extend my gratitude to them for their hard work in bringing this gang to justice.”
How long were the men sentenced for?
Zulkernan Mahmood, 36, of Pasture Lane, Bradford, Yorkshire, was jailed for six years and four months and handed a 10-year criminal behaviour order after pleading guilty to two counts of fraudulent trading and one count of participating in a fraudulent business.
He was also disqualified from being a company director for 14 years.
Rehan Yousaf, 47, of Branshaw Gardens, Bradford, Yorkshire, was jailed for two years and six months, to run consecutively with a sentence of seven years and 11 months that he is currently serving, and handed a 10-year criminal behaviour order after pleading guilty to fraudulent trading and participating in a fraudulent business.
He was also disqualified from being a company director for 12 years.
Jonathan O’Grady, 37, of Blackburn Avenue, Bridlington, Yorkshire was found guilty of two counts of fraudulent trading and handed a two-year suspended sentence.
He was also ordered to complete 220 hours of unpaid work and has been disqualified from being a company director for six years.
David Goody, 54, of Thompson Avenue, Bradford, Yorkshire, was ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work after pleading guilty to fraudulent trading. He has been disqualified from being a director for three years.
City of York Council's Cllr Jenny Kent said: “Our Trading Standards team investigations are helping secure justice for innocent people and are a warning to anyone considering exploiting homeowners that they will be caught.
“Home and energy efficiency improvements are vital for people to have warm, low-cost homes, and it is really damaging if peoples’ trust is eroded by a small number of criminals.
“Our dedicated team is committed to upholding people’s rights, enabling confidence in decent suppliers, and ensuring that those who seek to cheat people and erode that trust are brought to justice.”