Cowboy builder, 46, jailed for 13 months right after he left family ‘financially crippled’

A cowboy builder has been jailed for 13 months after he ‘financially crippled,’ a household by paying out their £46,000 on consume and prescription drugs instead of making an extension. 

Kelvin and Julie Briggs bought a property in Billingham, Teesside, with hopes of constructing an extension to make area for Julie’s aged mother and father.

But immediately after shelling out thousands to Jamie Thompson, 46, in 2017, the family members grew to become worried above the sluggish tempo and excellent of the perform.

Final week a court docket heard Thompson applied the revenue to fund his alcohol and drug patterns, alongside with four home loans he necessary to fork out.

Thompson was jailed for 13 months and two months at Teesside Crown Court final week right after admitting to fraud and two consumer safety rates.

Friends have introduced a fundraising campaign to assist the few, as they encounter a £60,000 monthly bill to complete the will work and resolve the shoddy career Thompson had started out. 

A courtroom heard how Thompson expended the funds on liquor and drugs, as nicely as paying out off 4 mortgages. The family now experience a £60,000 invoice to correct the works 

As properly as leaving the extension incomplete, Thompson also failed to set up a lavatory for the Briggs, forcing them to invest an extra £1,300 for somebody else to carry out the perform

Teesside Stay noted on the court proceedings following Thompson was contracted by the spouse and children to develop the extension in 2017.

The court listened to how the family had problems more than the good quality of his perform, but ongoing to fork out him any income he established out for elements and labour. 

Issues ended up then elevated when he demanded money for a boiler to be equipped in an location exactly where perform hadn’t even finished. 

Thompson had been contracted to complete a bathroom for the Briggs’, but when he unsuccessful to have out the operate, the family experienced to fork out £1,300 for anyone else to do it.

The courtroom read how the family members were forced to use their neighbour’s bathroom through the delays.

Three months into the work, a nearby council representative arrived to say that design ought to have started out, regardless of assurances from Thompson that he would make sure the web page had setting up authorization. 

Kelvin and Julie Briggs paid out Jamie Thompson £46,000 to match an extension on their new property Billingham, Teesside back again in 2017

The Briggs had hoped to construct an extension for their aged dad and mom at their dwelling in Billingham, but alternatively cowboy builder Jamie Thompson fleeced them of £46,000, carrying out bad operate at an increasingly gradual rate right before at some point downing resources

In spite of considerations above his operate, the Briggs ongoing to pay out extra income to Thompson that he claimed was for areas and labour 

The home initial requirements to be built harmless ahead of get the job done to comprehensive the extension can consider place

A friend of the loved ones said court proceedings only ‘scratched the surface’ of the a few-calendar year ordeal the relatives has been set by means of by the Hartlepool builder. 

Scott Horsley, a pal of the Briggs, informed of the ‘horrendous’ circumstance describing it as ‘absolutely unbelievable’.

He told of how the family has suffered fiscally and emotionally at the arms of Thompson. 

With their permission, he introduced a fundraising webpage to aid the ‘devastated’ family members.

He statements a massive element of the home is uninhabitable, including: ‘The family have been quoted up to £60,000 to rectify and full the works’.

On the GoFundMe webpage, Scott stated the home needs crucial underpinning and structural functions which will make the setting up safe and sound and watertight.

He added: ‘Once the framework is built safe, we can then contain local firms and tradespeople to support make the residence liveable for the whole household.

‘The dollars isn’t to get faucets and electrical sockets, it truly is to make the household structurally safe before the building function on the within.

‘Then it really is onto Strategy B – striving to get individuals concerned and regional firms to help out.’

Scott mentioned the family are even now in a ‘catch 22 situation’ immediately after ‘sinking all of their personal savings into the development’ and possessing to lease even though the property is inhabitable.

Ann and Brian, who are 72 and 73, have moved dwelling 12 instances due to taking on limited-time period rental contracts ready for constructing to be concluded.

Good friends hope to raise £10,000 to aid the victims of a rogue trader afford the extension they have currently used thousands on

The cowboy builder certain his victims he would make certain the extension had organizing authorization – but a few months into the position a council representative arrived to convey to them no get the job done ought to have even commenced

He extra: ‘I’m asking for aid owing to the state that the residence has been still left, they do not see the working day when Ann and Brian who are in their 70’s will have a property of their personal.

‘Ann and Brian have made use of all of their preserving/pension money about the past 3 yrs on numerous rentals because of to making functions never ever staying completed.

‘It’s just not appropriate. They are in their 70s and must have a good top quality life now.’

The house transformation was also for Julie’s brother Andrew to reside with the household.

The 44-yr-old was beforehand residing in sheltered accommodation but is living in rented accommodation with his parents presently because of to the coronavirus pandemic.

He is explained as a ‘lovely bloke who everyone is aware in the location, a truly great guy’.

Andrew Stothard (pictured) is wanting to enable his close friends raise £10,000 to end the task they started off having to pay for in 2017

Scott explained the household have believed it will be all over four many years just before the home is in a ‘livable state’.

Scott introduced the fundraising web page around the weekend and reported the aid of the local community has been ‘fantastic’.

He included: ‘I know that in the present local climate, situations are extremely hard for several family members fiscally, but I am hoping our regional group can occur together to support this significantly in will need relatives.’

The webpage has lifted just more than £1,000 of the £10,000 target.