Redcar tradesman sentenced for 'ripping off' householders

James McDonagh was sentenced at Teesside Crown Court

A tradesman who carried out sub-standard work or failed to do any at all despite being paid has been given a suspended prison sentence.

James McDonagh, 26, from Redcar, did not to respond when unhappy customers tried to contact him, Teesside Crown Court heard.

McDonagh was ordered to pay £2,752 compensation to six victims who said they felt "ripped off".

He was sentenced to 10 months suspended for 12 after admitting eight offences.

Between 3 March and 6 October last year, McDonagh responded to online adverts from people wanting improvement works, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

After paying him £20 for a roof tile to be replaced, a woman in Middlesbrough followed McDonagh's recommendation to spend £600 on a "dry verge system" to stop wind getting under the roofing, the court heard.

Two weeks later the strips he installed had blown off and he ignored her efforts to contact him.

Damaged van

A man in Guisborough and woman in Loftus both paid £1,000 for artificial grass to be fitted, but the man's was poorly cut and ill-fitting while work on the woman's never began with McDonagh claiming his van had been in an accident.

He made the same claim about his damaged van to an elderly disabled couple in Middlesbrough who paid half of a £500 fee for landscaping and fencing, and a woman in Dormanstown who paid £250 for a patio extension.

He did not turn up to do any of the work and attempts to contact him were unsuccessful, the court heard.

A resident in Ormesby paid him £300 for landscaping work but he never showed up to do the work.

McDonagh's victims said they felt "ripped off" and unable to trust other traders, the court heard.

Redcar and Cleveland Council, which brought the prosecution, said McDonagh carried out three of the offences after the authority sent him a letter explaining the law regarding the supply of services.

'Full of remorse'

John Nixon, mitigating, said McDonagh currently earned £24,000 through his job at British Steel and set up the business after his girlfriend became pregnant.

Mr Nixon said McDonagh was "naïve and utterly unaware" of regulations and had "good intentions" before becoming overwhelmed.

"He was stealing from Peter to pay Paul in order to trade his way through a crisis," Mr Nixon said, adding his client was "full of remorse".

McDonagh admitted five counts of knowingly or recklessly engaging in commercial practice and three charges of dishonestly making false representations.

He was also ordered to pay £3,000 court costs.