Wiltshire builder admits fraud and sentenced to community order
James O'Shaughnessy from Marlborough scammed a family wanting an extension
A Wiltshire builder has admitted three counts of fraud and been handed an 18 month community order.
41 year old James O'Shaughnessy from Marlborough, who traded as EJ Build and Renovate, has appeared before Salisbury Magistrates Court today (Tuesday 29th April).
His community order means he'll have to complete 300 hours of unpaid work, and pay £114 in compensation to the victims.
If his order is breached, he'll face a prison sentence of two years and three months.
What happened?
A couple in Marlborough contacted Mr O'Shaughnessy in August 2022, as they wanted to build an extension to their family home.
They were quoted £116,700 for the work, with a timescale of 10 to 12 weeks promised.
The family three deposits totalling nearly £90,000, with O'Shaughnessy claiming the money was for materials to be stored at his lock-up.
He then only turned up to the site sporadically, leading to the victims asking for invoices for the materials, which were never provided.
Eventually, the couple asked for a cost breakdown, with the aim of reaching an agreement to have the work carried out by an alternative trader.
Mr O'Shaughnessy claimed £69,000 had been incurred, but again, no invoices were provided.
A quantity surveyor from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors assessed the value of the work so far, with a price of £26,000.
A County Court claim was made by the couple, and was found in their favour - but not settled by O'Shaughnessy.
Victim impact statements read out during the sentencing said: “I feel hurt and puzzled. Hurt that anyone should knowingly put a decent family in such a dreadful and ongoing predicament – and to have shown no remorse. Puzzled – to this day not fully knowing what ever happened to our hard-earned money nor whether we will ever see it repaid.
“Trust, goodwill, faith and hope are all pillars that I have used as a foundation for ‘being good’ and they have all suffered. They are foundational pillars that I have installed in my three children, and it hurts me immensely to think that these pillars that I hold on to so tightly have been eroded to the point where I feel – and know – has affected my children as well.
“I am not a builder but have had to pick up the pieces of a failed build and empty bank account. I have a commitment. I have promised two of my three children a new room each and I will deliver. They have been so patient and supportive. I hope they understand that the person I am now – a somewhat bitter, cynical and altered man – is not the real me. I feel hurt that this part of me, the part that I hold dear as who I am and who I want to be seen as, has been damaged. Is their father a failure, or just human? Time will tell.”
Sarah Valdus, Director Environment at Wiltshire Council, said: “The impact of this crime has clearly been devastating for the victims. The efforts of our Trading Standards team have ensured that Mr O’Shaughnessy has been brought to justice.
“We will continue to take action against those rogue traders who dupe our residents and engage in these types of illegal activities and carry out work to unacceptable standards. We don’t want anyone else to have to go through the same. Being a victim of this type of crime is an awful experience.
“Therefore, we hope that by raising awareness of building fraud, we will educate consumers, give them the confidence to make the right decisions and make it more difficult for fraudsters to operate.
“Wiltshire is full of honest hard-working traders and trusted traders can be found by using an approval scheme such as Buy With Confidence.”