Builder sentenced for dangerous loft conversion

Builder James Quinn was sentenced for fraud at Lincoln Crown Court

A builder has been sentenced for fraud after a Gainsborough family was forced to move out of their home because of a botched loft conversion which left their house at risk of collapsing.

James Quinn, who claimed he had 20 years experience in loft conversions, offered to finish the work for £3,000, Lincolnshire County Council said.

After a few weeks the concerned family contacted the council's building control and a structural engineer confirmed the house was unsafe, after Quinn cut out all the supporting beams in the roof.

The couple and their young children had to move out of their home and the roof and ceilings had to be supported with props for 13 weeks.

A different builder came and made the loft and roof safe at a further cost of £8,000.

Quinn, 43, of Ropery Road, Gainsborough, pleaded guilty to one count of fraud at Lincoln Crown Court.

He was sentenced on Monday to 19 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months and ordered to pay £400 compensation.

Lincolnshire Trading Standards senior officer Sally Gray said the family had sought quotes from a number of builders before choosing Quinn.

"They’d tried to do everything right but they were completely drawn-in by Quinn’s lies," she said.

"Luckily, because they’d noticed that things didn’t look right early on, they had only paid him £900 of the £3,000 quoted.

“We often think about rogue traders targeting older or vulnerable people, but this heartbreaking case shows that some unscrupulous individuals will take advantage of anyone, no matter their circumstances, and convince them that they can do work that they can’t."

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