Billingham builder jailed for 'unfit and unsafe' £27k fraud

Craig Parker was jailed for 19 months at Teesside Crown Court

A builder who defrauded customers out of more than £27,000 while serving a suspended sentence for similar offending has been jailed.

Craig Parker, 41, left multiple families having to deal with incomplete and substandard work, Teesside Crown Court heard.

An expert said his work was rushed, unfit, unsafe and inadequate, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Parker was jailed for 19 months after admitting multiple frauds.

He worked at homes in Middlesbrough, Stockton, Billingham and Wynyard on projects he underquoted and had "priced to win", the court heard.

'Let clients down'

Joan Smith, prosecuting on behalf of Stockton Council, said some materials - including nails - were thrown into a piece of garden intended as a safe children's play area, while others were burned leaving fire damage.

One child was injured by a tile and an adult was injured by a nail through his foot, while a family had to jump over a wall to get to their own home for months because so much rubbish was piled up, the court was told.

Ms Smith said: "[Parker] repeatedly let his clients down. He has failed to carry out any form of satisfactory or competent work."

She said he made excuses and offered refunds which never came as customers realised the poor quality of the work.

The court heard Parker carried on his work while under a suspended prison term from March 2021 for similar offending.

Ms Smith said he worked under three companies in four years - firms which were dissolved and a new one set up whenever events reached a head.

'Bad businessman'

Parker, of Neasham Avenue, Billingham, admitted 10 frauds and eight consumer protection offences of engaging in misleading or reckless commercial practices, all between February 2021 and January 2022.

Representing himself in court, father of three Parker said he was under financial pressure at the time and took on more than 60 jobs in three years, adding: "Not once did I intentionally go out there to commit fraud and crime.

"I do class myself as a bad businessman. I rushed things and I struggled to keep on top on it."

The prosecution applied for almost £29,000 in compensation but judge Recorder Mark McKone declined saying Parker was losing his job and had no prospect of paying the money.

Parker's wife Kellie Parker, 40, the company's sole director, denied nine charges of fraud, 11 consumer protection offences and one charge of falsely applying to strike off a company.

On the company's behalf, she also pleaded not guilty to seven charges of fraud and eight consumer protection offences.

She and the company were cleared of all these charges after the prosecution offered no evidence against them.