Preston roofing boss pleads not guilty to charges over substandard work and payment pressure

But Scott Smith will have to wait for more than a year for his chance to challenge the allegations before a jury in the city.

Smith, of Oystercatcher Lane, Longridge, was remanded on bail by a judge at Preston Crown Court this week to face trial on May 5, 2026.

He has been charged with four counts of unfair commercial practice including claims that the work carried out on a house in Preston was substandard and the owner had been put under pressure to pay the bill.

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Smith appeared before Judge Darren Preston who told him he was “almost ashamed” to say the trial could not take place for another 13 months because of the backlog of cases in the Crown Court system.

Barrister Mark Stephenson, representing Smith, told Judge Preston his client strenuously denied the allegations and was therefore entering pleas of not guilty to all four charges.

The trial in May next year is expected to last four days.