Rogue trader avoids jail after leaving customers £135,000 out of pocket
James Edwin O'Dell's been handed a two-year suspended sentence, three month curfew and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work
A rogue trader who left customers £135,000 out of pocket has avoided jail with a two year suspended sentence - after admitting two counts of fraud at an earlier hearing.
It follows an investigation by Cornwall Council's Trading Standards into the building and home improvement works he was hired to carry out at seven different properties between April 2021 and December 2022.
39- year-old James Edwin O'Dell from Newquay's actions have been called 'reckless and selfish'.
It's reported he took cash for materials which were never purchased, whilst also misled customers over the need to pay VAT when he was not VAT registered.
In some cases, he took large deposits for work that was not started. In others, the work was of a poor standard or incomplete.
Cornwall Council say the real impact of his actions was much higher due to the crippling remedial costs of putting the substandard work right, combined with the emotional strain for those that had their family homes left in an inhabitable state.
On Friday, September 27 at Truro Crown Court, O’Dell was given a two-year suspended sentence and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work. He was also given a three month (7pm-7am) curfew.
Martyn Alvey, the portfolio holder responsible for Enforcement and Public Protection at Cornwall Council, said: “This is yet another example of the devastation caused due to the reckless and selfish actions of a supposed builder.
“These families put their faith in O’Dell with the hope of improving their homes, only to be left out of pocket and having to work day and night to put things right. Thanks to the hard work and support of our Trading Standards team, many of the customers have now managed to get refunded through their banks’ fraud protection schemes.”
On Friday, September 27 at Truro Crown Court, O’Dell was given a two-year suspended sentence and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work. He was also given a three month (7pm-7am) curfew.
Martyn Alvey, the portfolio holder responsible for Enforcement and Public Protection at Cornwall Council, said: “This is yet another example of the devastation caused due to the reckless and selfish actions of a supposed builder.
“These families put their faith in O’Dell with the hope of improving their homes, only to be left out of pocket and having to work day and night to put things right. Thanks to the hard work and support of our Trading Standards team, many of the customers have now managed to get refunded through their banks’ fraud protection schemes.”
James Edwin O’Dell, of Newquay, entered guilty pleas to two counts of fraud, under Section 2 of the Fraud Act 2006.