Builder who conned people in Cornwall out of £480k is jailed

Sean McCann, 48, has been jailed for six years

A builder who conned people across Cornwall out of about £480,000 has been jailed for six years.

Sean McCann, 48, of Pendoggett, near Wadebridge, defrauded at least 30 people around the county, Trading Standards said.

Victims described having "horrendous" experiences while employing him, with situations leaving them financially and emotionally scarred.

Judge Peter Johnson said McCann left a trail of victims in his wake.

Sentencing him at Plymouth Crown Court, Mr Johnson said: "Their lives have been deeply, irreparably harmed in many ways... you have shattered trust and dreams for so many people."

McCann pleaded guilty at a previous hearing to fraud and offences under the insolvency act.

McCann defrauded at least 35 people around the county, Trading Standards said

Trading Standards said it started to get complaints about McCann in April 2022.

Investigators found he had been declared bankrupt in Birmingham, but, between October 2020 and December 2022, he used online websites in Cornwall to get work.

He agreed to numerous building projects for which he did not have the skills or resources, Trading Standards said.

James Binding, a financial consultant from Truro, wanted to renovate his family home in May 2021.

After seeing good reviews on a website, he employed Sean McCann as he seemed professional and plausible.

James Binding ended up with an unstable house after spending £46,000

Despite doing all the checks he thought necessary, he ended up with an unfinished, unstable house and had spent £46,000.

He said: "It's been horrendous. There's been a period where I didn't know how we'd finish the house or what to do with it, and how on earth I'd repay the money to get the work done, or how I'd find a builder.

"It's all very upsetting."

Kim Vose, from St Mawgan, was left £17,000 out of pocket after taking Sean McCann on to replace an old extension.

She found him via a website and had followed up references.

She said: "People stopped coming within a couple of months. I had to phone him every day to find out what was going on.

"He promised people were turning up but they never did.

"I was living in one room in the house with no heating, no hot water and no access to a kitchen."

Kim Vose said she was living in one room at one point

Matt Rawson, from Trading Standards, said McCann "made numerous false statements to secure client monies for materials never purchased" and "left jobs unfinished, missed countless deadlines and any work that was completed was of extremely poor quality".

Mr Rawson said there were a number of things people could do to protect themselves, such as using the Trading Standards Buy With Confidence scheme.

"People need to be wary of online directories and be very careful with reviews. Changing a shower tray well is not enough for [building] an extension," he said.

"If you're given a review or reference check up and go and knock on the door, it's worth going the extra mile. There are simple ways you can do credit or insolvency checks and advice is available online.

"Don't take things at face value."