A rogue trader who left customers more than £135,000 out of pocket has been sentenced following a successful prosecution by Cornwall Council’s Trading Standards team.
At an earlier hearing, James Edwin O’Dell, of Newquay, entered guilty pleas to two counts of fraud, under Section 2 of the Fraud Act 2006.
The offences, dated between April 2021 and December 2022, relate to O’Dell’s dishonest practices in regard to building and home improvement works that he was hired to carry out at seven different properties.
O’Dell, aged 39, took monies for materials which were never purchased. He 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.
His actions led to a combined loss of £135,000 for his customers and a local business. The real impact 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.
Gary Webster, Trading Standards Group Leader at Cornwall Council, said: “Our team are continuing to investigate a high number of cases of this nature. We are regularly finding that contractors are agreeing to undertake works despite not having the resource or competency to deliver the work, and abusing the trust of their customers by continuing to take monies knowing that the work cannot be finished.”
Cornwall Council operates the Buy With Confidence Scheme, which promotes local businesses and traders that are committed to trading fairly.
Visit buywithconfidence.gov.uk for more information.
