Rogue traders who 'bullied vulnerable customers' jailed
It follows a successful prosecutions by Cornwall Council's Trading Standards
Two rogue traders who the Cornwall Council Trading Standards Team say 'bullied vulnerable customers' have been jailed - after a successful prosecution last week.
It comes after Tommy Aaron Chislett and Shane Lee took a pensioner with dementia to buy a £3,500 gold bracelet as upfront payment for roof repairs, after banks refused cash withdrawals.
They also demanded an additional £1,000 from a couple who had already paid them £300 for gardening work.
The pair each pleaded guilty to three charges of attempted theft and two charges of fraud at a previous hearing.
Chislett, aged 22, Lee, aged 31, both of Wheal Jewel, Redruth, were sentenced to two years in prison at Truro Crown Court on Thursday, April 3.
The case related to bogus gardening and roofing work at the homes of vulnerable victims.
This all started in 2024 - when on January 25th, alongside another labourer, the pair went to Falmouth, where they cold-called the home of a man who was living with dementia.
They told him the roof needed cleaning - and later went onto the roof, where they claimed it also needed fixing.
After an initial verbal quote of £5,000, they gave him no paperwork, but demanded the cash upfront.
The victim told Chislett and Lee that he did not have the money, so he went to the branch of his local bank to withdraw the cash, but realising the request was unusual, the bank refused to release the funds.
Because of this, the men drove him to another branch of his bank - who'd already contacted his daughter to let her know of the unusual withdrawal.
By the time she arrived at her father’s property, the men had already left with her father.
Not knowing where he was, the daughter contacted the police to report her father as a missing person.
Other banks refused further attempts to withdraw the cash, so instead, they took the elderly man to Camborne - where they went into a jewellery shop.
He was told to buy a bracelet, and paid £3,500 for it - before it was taken as 'payment' for the work.
Police arrested Chislett, Lee and the other male shortly after they dropped him off back at home, although the bracelet was never recovered.
That's not the only recorded incident which the pair were caught involving themselves with.
In June 2023, Chislett and Lee had delivered flyers to houses in the Truro area advertising their gardening business. One customer called to enquire about having some hedges cut back and was persuaded to get the work done.
Chislett and Lee turned up at the property shortly after and cut back the bushes. They gave no paperwork or any form of cancellation period. Upon completion of the work, they demanded £300 in payment.
The customer felt confused and pressured by the situation. Chislett and Lee asked him to give them his bank card and PIN number, which he did. The two men took the card to a local supermarket and withdrew £300. However, when they returned, they demanded a further £1,000.
Panicked, the victim called his father who bank transferred the money and Chislett and Lee left. Unknown to them at the time, the payment was blocked by the bank.
'Truly shocking'
Gary Webster, Trading Standards Group Leader at Cornwall Council, said: “These incidents are truly shocking examples of how some of the most vulnerable people in our community can be exploited for financial gain. It is clear that both Chislett and Lee operated solely with the intent of identifying the most vulnerable consumers, with little interest in completing any meaningful work.
“Thankfully on this occasion the police and Trading Standards were alerted to these incidents; however, we know that there are many more that are not reported. It is vital that communities are vigilant and look out for friends and neighbours and report any suspicious activity.”
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