A rogue trader who scammed an elderly widow from Ruislip out of more than £11,000 for unnecessary building work has been given a suspended prison sentence following an investigation by Hillingdon Council’s trading standards team.
Lawrence Cash, 30, of Bagshot Road, Brookwood, was sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court on Monday, 6 October. He admitted to fraud by false representation, engaging in unfair commercial practice, and engaging in aggressive commercial practice at an earlier hearing on 6 May.
The court heard that on 10 September 2022, Cash approached 86-year-old Mary Naylor at her Ruislip home, offering to clean her driveway for an agreed price. After completing what was described as a poor-quality clean, he falsely claimed that parts of her property were in urgent need of repair, including her chimney, flat roof, and boiler.
Cash wrote an invoice for the work but deliberately backdated it by one month to make it appear that he had explained her cancellation rights and waited the required cooling-off period before starting.
When the work was finished, Ms Naylor paid £100 in cash and two cheques totalling £11,500 after Cash told her that banks “might get suspicious” if he paid in one cheque for the full amount.
The court was told that Cash later returned on two separate occasions trying to extract more money by inventing further work. Distressed by his repeated visits, Ms Naylor contacted Hillingdon Council’s trading standards team, who began investigating and warned Cash not to return.
An independent surveyor later confirmed that much of the work was unnecessary and done to a poor standard.
Judge Mr Recorder Miskin KC noted that Cash had been arrested previously for similar offences and told the court he had been introduced to fraudulent behaviour by his father from the age of 10.
Cllr Eddie Lavery, Hillingdon Council’s Cabinet Member for Community and Environment, said: “This case was a despicable example of a vulnerable resident being exploited by a scammer using aggression, harassment and unfair practices.
“Sadly, the victim in this case sadly passed away before getting to see Cash brought to justice, but I hope this result brings some comfort to those who knew what she’d gone through.
“Our trading standards team has a duty to protect consumers from being defrauded, misled and unfairly treated and we’ll always take the firmest action against those who seek to exploit those residents most at risk.”
Cash was sentenced to 10 months in prison, suspended for two years, along with a 15-month community order requiring 200 hours of unpaid work and 15 rehabilitation activity days.
He was ordered to pay £11,600 in compensation to Ms Naylor’s estate, £5,400 towards prosecution costs, and a £187 victim surcharge.
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