'Crook' builder wrecked victims' homes and lives

THE wife of a rogue trader described him as a "crook" after it emerged he'd defrauded multiple homeowners and stripped them of tens of thousands of pounds, a court has heard.

- JONATHON HILL

Michael Anderson, 76, who describes himself as a "builder extraordinaire" on advertising material, conned multiple residents in Porthcawl to the tune of £263,607.43 over the space of four years, almost ruining their lives in the process, Cardiff Crown Court heard on Monday.

Anderson, of Danygraig Avenue, Porthcawl, who had worked as a builder all his life, told all six of his victims he would never rip them off before proceeding to do just that.

In powerful statements read to the court, one of the victims said she had suicidal thoughts as a result of what Anderson did to her.

Ian Ibrahim, prosecuting on behalf of Bridgend council, told the court that on all occasions Anderson did not complete the work he promised to do and also billed the victims significantly more than what he'd initially quoted.

He left the houses in shoddy states of disrepair, with some of them leaking and others far from finished.

Mr Ibrahim said Anderson was originally charged with three counts of fraud and one count of dishonesty by false representation before another victim came forward and Anderson was charged with a fourth count of fraud.

His wife Sandra Anderson, 66, also of Danygraig Avenue, was charged with possessing criminal property for being the owner of a bank account holding £35,000 of the £263,000 which Anderson had obtained fraudulently.

Mr Ibrahim said couple Denise and Andrew Fitzgerald lost £43,018 to Anderson and were left with an unfinished home which was leaking and couldn't be insured.

Another couple, Richard Booth and Andrea Phillips, lost £39,000 and then had to pay further money for contractors to repair the mess Anderson had left their house in.

'Anderson has bled us dry'

Ian Hayes lost £49,650 and said Anderson had "ruined" him, while Jessica Reader lost £131,369 and said Anderson's actions had meant she would have to work years longer than she'd planned.