Rogue builder fleeced victims out of £130,000

ROGUE builder has been jailed for fleecing elderly and vulnerable victims thousands of pounds while fobbing them off with a catalogue of excuses.

- ROB KENNEDY

Time and time again, James Bell took money for around 30 projects which he never completed, causing misery to victims over a seven-year period.

Newcastle Crown Court heard he defrauded customers in Newcastle, Morpeth, Stocksfield, Durham, Berwick, Darlington, Middlesbrough and North Yorkshire out of a total of £130,913. That figure does not include the costs victims incurred by having to put right what he had done or completing work which he had not finished.

One of the victims was 94 years old and another was 90. Another victim had significant mobility issues and one had disabled children. One woman paid Bell £2,000 to adjust her property when she developed chronic arthritis and fibromyalgia but, having taken the money, he didn’t do the work.

The court heard another woman was having chemotherapy for stage 4 cancer and she moved back to her parents’ home. Money was paid to Bell to make adjustments to cater for her needs.

Sentencing him, Judge Edward Bindloss said: “You took the money, delayed the start date and the job was cancelled and you never refunded it. More than £4,000 was paid to you.”

In relation to the overall picture, the judge added: “This was sustained over a long period of time and there are a large number of victims. There was a serious detriment to many people and some people were particularly vulnerable.

“There was a high degree of evasion, excuses and false representations made. You told one person your sister had cancer to justify your delays.

“You told another you had cancer to justify delays. You told others you had Covid.