Driveway cons cowboy Stacy Handley caught

A rogue trader who conned families out of up to £45,000 by laying shoddy drives throughout the Black Country was today facing jail.

Stacy Handley tricked victims in Dudley, Wolverhampton and Sandwell after turning up unannounced on their doorsteps.

He gave a fake name and address and showed glossy pictures of drives that had not actually been laid by him.

The 36-year-old, who admitted 73 offences, issued worthless eight-year guarantees and never honoured pledges to return to repair the mess he had left behind.

Victims included 89-year-old Wolverhampton man Alfred Thomas, who paid £1,350 for a botched job after being driven by Handley to a building society to withdraw the cash.

Slipshod work will now have to be ripped up at 18 homes where cars sank into the driveways and weeds appeared within days.

The true identity of Handley, of Raglan Street in Brierley Hill, was revealed after he was caught by trading standards officers acting on tip-offs from customers.

But the fraudster, who advertised in Yellow Pages, still kept on duping people despite warnings from officials, magistrates in Wolverhampton heard yesterday afternoon.

He pleaded guilty to 73 offences, 33 involving fraud and the remainder breaches of regulations protecting consumers.

Mr Richard Dewsbery, prosecuting, said Handley called his firm JJ Callaghan and told customers his Christian name was John.

He gave a bogus address for the business in Tiled House Lane, Pensnett, and used mobile phones when dealing with customers.

Magistrates bailed Handley pending sentence at crown court on September 1, warning that he faces jail.

Victim Mr Thomas said today: "He couldn't wait to get his hands on my money."