Rip-off Black Country builder locked up after targeting older women

Shameless Stephen Spurling conned one 75-year-old into paying almost £17,500 - twice the proper charge - for shoddy work on her Halesowen home that did not need doing.

Then he fleeced a 62-year-old of £1,080 for repairs that were never carried out to an alleged hole in the roof along with faulty guttering and rotting wood which he said had to be paid for in cash before he started work, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

The callous 41-year-old - trading as Aspect Roofing - twice took her from the Cradley Heath address to the bank to withdraw more money before disappearing it , explained Miss Emma Rutherford, prosecuting.

Spurling repaired paving at the Halesowen home of the older victim before spotting other alleged problems with a chimney, drains and damp patches in the garage which he offered to fix in October 2013. She trusted him and agreed.

'Special' paint put on the garage floor and walls cracked almost immediately. He promised to put it right but never returned, prompting the victim to contact Dudley Trading Standards officers in April 2014.

A chartered surveyor said the paint was worthless, just like the drain that was not even connected to a channel or underground system.

The rear chimney and flashing had not been been touched and repairs to the paving and drainage channel were well below the standard expected from a 'reasonably competent operative,' concluded an official report that reckoned the reasonable cost for the work, if carried out properly, was £8,300.

Spurning was traced and interviewed but went on the run, finally giving himself up in March this year.

Miss Ramya Nagesh, defending, said he had been a competent roofer and builder for 20 years before his life started to unravel and he turned to drink.

He admitted running a business to defraud customers between October 1 2013 and March 25 2014, trading without professional diligence and unfair trading.

Spurning, of no fixed address, was jailed by Recorder Nicholas Syfret QC who told him: "You ripped off elderly customers by doing shoddy and unnecessary work while charging too much. You milked them for money in a gross breach of trust. They expected you to do the work properly but you did not. You are a cowboy builder."