Latest news with #ABGardenBuildingLtd
Glasgow Times
08-05-2025
- Glasgow Times
Brazen crook slammed after conning dozens out of sheds
Clever crook Alistair Baxter took thousands of pounds for the work from almost 70 people, including pensioners in their seventies. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said he took orders and banked large deposits from punters across several areas in Scotland, including Dunbartonshire, Stirlingshire, Glasgow, and Aberdeen. However, the crook then failed to carry out any work, leaving his victims out of pocket. READ MORE: Man dies after police alerted to incident at Glasgow canal READ MORE: Murder probe after young man found dead inside Glasgow home Baxter, described as a self-employed joiner and the owner of Falkirk-based AB Garden Building Ltd, was sentenced at Stirling Sheriff Court on Wednesday, May 7, after pleading guilty to fraud. The 36-year-old has now been locked up for three years and four months. After being sentenced, Helen Nisbet, Procurator Fiscal for Tayside, Central, and Fife, slammed Baxter. She said: 'This was a clear case of deception and an egregious breach of trust by Alistair Baxter. 'He took significant sums of cash from people who paid him to do work and then brazenly refused to do the work or return their deposits. 'It was an appalling course of behaviour and he has now been held to account for his crimes.' The COPFS said Baxter, who advertised his business on social media, carried out his offending between September 2020 and March 2024. READ MORE: Man found dead inside Glasgow home as detectives spotted on street READ MORE: More arrests after 'violent incidents' amid Scotland 'gang war' In June 2022, a 68-year-old woman paid £4,150 as a deposit after Baxter quoted £5,900 to build a summerhouse. In September of that year, Baxter told her the job would not be carried out until the full £1,800 balance had been paid. The money was transferred, however, the work was never carried out, and no refund was issued. Meanwhile, in September 2023, a 74-year-old woman paid a £1,250 deposit for a summerhouse, but the work was never started. She was later falsely told by Baxter that the money had been refunded into her bank account. Some victims received deliveries of materials, but no construction work ever took place.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
Shed conman jailed over scams worth £110,000
A man has been jailed after he scammed nearly 70 people across Scotland out of a total of £110,000 by falsely promising to build garden sheds and summerhouses. Alistair Baxter advertised on social media, took orders and pocketed deposits from victims in Dunbartonshire, Stirlingshire, Glasgow and Aberdeen. The 36-year-old made over £30,000 a year from the scheme and a sheriff told Baxter: "Your greed was quite remarkable." He pleaded guilty to fraud at Stirling Sheriff Court and has been jailed for three years and four months. The court heard how people who paid thousands of pounds in deposits received calls from Baxter asking for more money before their garden buildings were put up. But despite paying the extra sums, the buildings were not erected. One victim paid a £1,000 deposit, then Baxter asked for two further payments totalling £1,650 over five months. When the customer contacted him, Baxter blocked him on Facebook and messaged him: "You're not getting your shed ha ha ha." Sheriff Derek Hamilton told Baxter, who appeared for sentencing via a video link from Low Moss Prison: "You were literally laughing at him." The court heard that other people who complained and asked for their money back got only partial refunds or, in most cases, no refund at all. Some customers received deliveries of materials, but no construction took place. Others who previously had summerhouses erected by Baxter's company, AB Garden Building Ltd, went on to pay extra for improvements. But these were never carried out and they lost their money. Prosecutor Jamie Hillend said Baxter defrauded 67 customers of a total of £110,000 between September 2020 and March 2024. The court heard they were unlikely ever to get their money back. Significant sums lost Solicitor Alison Miller, defending, said that when Baxter, who is a joiner, started his business in 2017, it was not with the intention of fraud. The lawyer said he was under stress due to garden improvements booming during the Covid pandemic. Baxter had a gambling problem, she added, and an employee had taken money from him. Ms Miller said: "Money was coming in from various customers and he started to re-purpose it in different ways. "He became in debt, and was unable to pay the large majority of the victims back." Sheriff Hamilton told Baxter: "I accept you paid back some money to some customers, but it was very little in the scheme of things. "Significantly, it wasn't a scheme designed to dupe for example large business or government. "Many private individuals... lost significant sums. No doubt all of your victims felt financial pain from your dishonesty." He added: "There's no appropriate alternative to custody in this case – the public is fed up with bogus workmen." Helen Nisbet, procurator fiscal for Tayside, Central and Fife, said it was a "clear case of deception and an egregious breach of trust". She added: "Alistair Baxter took significant sums of cash from people who paid him to do work and then brazenly refused to do the work or return their deposits. "It was an appalling course of behaviour and he has now been held to account."
Daily Record
07-05-2025
- Daily Record
Conman joiner who fleeced 70 people in £100K garden shed scam jailed
Victims lost thousands of pounds to the cowboy builder who was jailed for being involved in the fraudulent scheme. A conman joiner who swindled almost 70 customers out of more than £100,000 in a bogus garden shed and summerhouse scam has been jailed for over three years. Alistair Baxter, 36, ran the fraud through his Falkirk -based company, AB Garden Building Ltd, taking large deposits from customers across Dunbartonshire, Stirlingshire, Glasgow and Aberdeen between September 2020 and March 2024. Despite promising to build bespoke garden structures, the cowboy builder failed to deliver on any of the contracts. Some victims, including pensioners in their 70s, lost thousands of pounds and received nothing in return. He had advertised his business on social media, luring clients with images of garden buildings that were never constructed. Baxter was sentenced at Stirling Sheriff Court after pleading guilty to fraud and jailed for three years and four months. Among the victims was a 68-year-old woman who paid a £4,150 deposit in June 2022 after receiving a quote for £5,900. Later in September, she was pressured to pay the remaining balance of £1,800 before any work began. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. She complied—only for no construction to ever take place and no refund was issued. In another case, a 74-year-old woman handed over a £1,250 deposit for a summerhouse in September 2023. The build never started, and Baxter falsely claimed the money had been refunded. In some instances, materials were delivered to properties, but no building work ever followed. Helen Nisbet, Procurator Fiscal for Tayside, Central and Fife, said: 'This was a clear case of deception and an egregious breach of trust by Alistair Baxter. "He took significant sums of cash from people who paid him to do work and then brazenly refused to do the work or return their deposits. It was an appalling course of behaviour and he has now been held to account for his crimes.'
