Builders took man's life savings in roofing scam

CROOKED roofers wiped out a pensioner's entire life savings after taking the roof off his bungalow and lying about the work that needed doing.

- JASON EVANS Court and crime reporter [e-mail]

Dave McEvoy was sentenced to 27 months in prison. Joseph Ellis was sentenced to 27 months in prison.

Dave McEvoy and Joseph Ellis took more than £33,000 from the victim and his wife and when the cash ran out they kept asking for more - even suggesting the couple could remortgage their property to release equity.

Sending the defendants down a judge at Swansea Crown Court told the pair they had “ruthless and cynically” extorted money from their elderly victims who are in their 70s and 80s.

Cailtin Brazel, prosecuting, told the court that in the summer of 2024 a retired couple living in Ystalyfera in the Swansea Valley searched online for companies to clean the roof of their bungalow.

She said 21-year-old Ellis who owned Trustwise Roofing Ltd - visited the couple and quoted them £1,250 for the job. The quote was accepted and the sum was paid by bank transfer.

The court heard Ellis and 51-year-old McEvoy started work the following day and began power washing the roof but then reported several of the tiles would need replacing and started removing them before asking for more cash.

The court heard that over the following days the defendants reported more and more issues with the roof, saying the felt layer was rotten and needed replacing, that the beams needed strengthen or replacing, and that the walls in the eaves would need to be rebuilt each time demanding more and more money.

The prosecutor said by now the bungalow had been stripped of its roof by the builders with only a partial tarpaulin cover to protect it from the elements and the husband of the couple felt pressurised to keep paying the extra sums being demanded.