'Nightmare' builder given suspended sentence

Two victims of Kerry Sharland reported collapsed ceilings

A "nightmare" rogue builder who left customers with collapsing ceilings has avoided prison.

Building company director Kerry Sharland, 50, was sentenced at Swindon Crown Court on Thursday after admitting to a charge of fraudulent trading, Swindon Borough Council said.

He was found to have left four couples who signed contracts with him £72,000 out of pocket and with substandard, unfinished building work.

Judge Jason Taylor handed Sharland, director of KS Building & Renovations Limited, a two-year suspended prison sentence.

Sharland left his victims collectively £72,000 out of pocket

He was also given 220 hours of community service as well as 15 days of rehabilitation, and was disqualified from being a director of a company for seven years.

The case brought by Swindon Borough Council’s Trading Standards team included two victims who had building work carried out which resulted in their ceilings collapsing.

The Judge told Sharland his conduct had been “a nightmare” for the householders affected and the work was done so poorly “substantial amounts (of money) were needed to rectify this work”.

He added Sharland caused “stress and misery for customers” and told “repeated lies about refunds”, taking money without completing the work.

Councillor Jim Grant, Swindon Borough’s Council’s cabinet member for communities and partnerships, thanked the householders who had "the misfortune" to employ Sharland but had "the bravery to come forward".

“I think the pictures of the collapsed ceilings tell you all you need to know about the appalling workmanship that was carried out at these properties," he said.

“I hope the sentence sends a clear message that we will take action when innocent homeowners are duped into parting with their hard-earned money by unscrupulous rogue traders."