A rogue trader who left customers £90,000 out of pocket has been sent to prison following a successful prosecution by Cornwall Council’s Trading Standards team.

Leonard Jesse James Richards, of Whitemoor, St Austell, was sentenced to 16 months imprisonment after previously pleading guilty to three counts of fraud.

The case related to roofing and building works conducted at four different properties across Cornwall.

In one case, Richards, aged 24, carried out work to convert a holiday home, and in the words of the homeowner “created a scene of devastation”. Load bearing walls were removed without adequate support for the roof, plumbing was poor and electrics were left in a dangerous state. The work was originally quoted as costing a maximum £10,000 but ended up costing over £17,000.

At another property, the homeowners wanted moss cleaned of their roof and gutters cleared. They also wanted the roof of their garden room to be repaired. Richards put pressure on the residents to agree to replacing the garden room roof, even though a repair was likely all that was needed.

He encouraged quick payment of £3,800 to get new roof trusses made as quickly as possible, and created a fake invoice from a fictional timber frame company to provide false reassurance that the trusses were ordered. Richards then failed to progress the work and rain caused water damage due to the larger holes that were made by Richards when smashing down the original tiles.

When chased about his lack of progress, Richards falsely claimed that the delays were due to his wife’s death, which was disproved when officers spoke to his wife as part of their enquiries.

Sentencing at Truro Crown Court on Friday, July 19, Recorder Simon Levene told Richards: “The victims forked out a lot of money to you, some for work that was not necessary and in addition it cost them to then rectify the works.

“The total paid out to you by them was approximately £45,000 and the cost to them overall was £90,000. That is £90,000 lost to them.

“The effect of what you did to them will be very long lasting. It is immensely distressing and disturbing for the victims, bearing in mind what you put them through.”

Councillor Martyn Alvey, cabinet member with responsibility for Public Protection at Cornwall Council, said: “I thank the team for all their hard work in securing justice on behalf of the customers who not only lost thousands of pounds but were put through an awful lot of stress due to this man’s actions.

“We will not tolerate this kind of behaviour. Where traders fail to carry out work they have been paid to do to the required standard, we will take action.”