Two roofers have been ordered to pay £26,400 in compensation after charging a Ruislip homeowner tens of thousands of pounds more than originally agreed before leaving the roofing work unfinished.
Billy Dunbar, 26, of Old Mill Place, Wraysbury, and John Smith, 23, of Pleasant Place, Hersham, admitted misleading commercial practices following an investigation by Hillingdon Council’s Trading Standards team.
The pair, who traded as Pinner Roofing, were sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court on Tuesday 23 June.
Customer charged more than double the agreed price
The case related to work carried out at a property in Hatherleigh Road, Ruislip.
The council said the homeowner initially agreed to pay £25,000 for a replacement roof and received an invoice for that amount.
However, after work began, Dunbar claimed the job was more extensive than first thought. Alongside the original deposit of £8,750, the homeowner was told a further £37,250 would be needed, bringing the total cost to £46,000.
The court heard that Dunbar later requested additional payments of £1,100 and £7,850. By the time the homeowner refused to pay any more, they had already paid a total of £52,800.
According to the council, Dunbar and Smith then stopped work and left the roof unfinished.
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Trading Standards investigation
Hillingdon Council’s Trading Standards team began investigating after receiving a call from NatWest Bank on 16 February 2023 regarding substantial payments being transferred from the victim’s bank account for roofing work.
Investigators found that payments had been made into Dunbar’s bank account, with around half later transferred to Smith. The pair also failed to provide the homeowner with written notice of their right to cancel the contract, as required under consumer protection legislation.
Before a court hearing earlier this year, both men voluntarily repaid £13,200 each, meaning half of the homeowner’s financial loss had already been returned before sentencing.
Sentences handed down
Alongside the compensation order, Dunbar received a four-and-a-half-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months. He was also ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work, 15 days of rehabilitation activity, pay £1,200 towards prosecution costs and a £154 victim surcharge.
Smith was given an 18-month community order, 150 hours of unpaid work, 25 days of rehabilitation activity, and was ordered to pay £1,200 towards prosecution costs and a £114 victim surcharge.
Council issues warning about rogue traders
Adam Bennett, Hillingdon Council’s Cabinet Member for Community, Environment and Enforcement, said: “This must have been a distressing experience for the victim in this case. Our priority is to protect our residents from rogue traders and from being unfairly treated, and this case demonstrates that we will not hesitate to take robust action against unscrupulous businesses who seek to exploit our residents.”
Residents who believe they have been targeted by rogue traders are advised to contact the Citizens Advice consumer service for advice and support.
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