Latest news with #GRDevelopments1Ltd
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Yahoo
Man wrecked woman's home weeks after signing contract with her
A builder who left a 'gaping hole' in the back of a woman's house after charging her £17,000 for work when his company was about to go bust has been handed a suspended sentence. Gary Roberts, 60, signed a contract with his unsuspecting victim at the start of May 2021, promising to complete an extension to the rear of her property, a magistrates heard. Within one week the woman had paid Roberts a £10,000 deposit and made a further payment of £7,000 at the end of June of the same year, even though he knew his company GR Developments 1 Ltd was in financial trouble. READ MORE: Police searched his phone - what they found has earned him a life sentence READ MORE: The Greater Manchester walking trail with a sun-trap café worth a visit on a sunny day The builder, of Old Spot Way, Winsford, in Cheshire, never finished the project, walking off the site with the victim's money in his back pocket and a gaping hole in the back of her house. He has since been ordered to pay his victim more than £10,000 in compensation and was handed a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years. David Snasdell, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said: "Gary Roberts left his victim in a state of utter desperation after wrecking her home. "He never should have even signed a contract with her, as he knew his company was in financial trouble. "Protecting the public from rogue traders such as Roberts is something the Insolvency Service takes extremely seriously." Chester Magistrates' Court heard the shady builder told the victim it would cost around £17,000 for new windows and a rear extension. But just weeks after signing the contract, Roberts received advice from professionals about placing GR Developments 1 Ltd into liquidation which led him to walk off the site. CI Snasdell said: "The back of the victim's house was completely exposed to the elements, having been knocked down from the kitchen. "Roberts and his company also left a huge mess in her garden, with debris and rubble everywhere." During that time he paid himself £11,513 between May and July 2021 knowing that his company was insolvent. It was eventually dissolved in January 2023. Roberts was sentenced for fraudulently removing property in anticipation of the winding-up of a company, contrary to section 206 of the Insolvency Act 1986 on Monday 31 March. Roberts was subsequently banned as a company director for 10 years for his misconduct at GR Developments 1 Ltd, with the disqualification in place until February 2034. He was also ordered to complete 20 days of community rehabilitation activity, pay £1,000 in costs, and a £154 surcharge. The woman has since completed her extension in April 2022 after employing other tradesmen. CI Snasdell said: "Fraudulent behaviour which causes clear financial harm to innocent people will be thoroughly investigated by the agency."
The Independent
03-04-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Rogue trader left ‘gaping hole' in woman's house after taking £10k deposit
A builder who left a gaping hole in a woman's house where her kitchen once stood has been handed a suspended jail sentence. Gary Roberts, from Cheshire, persuaded his victim to pay over £17,000 for new windows and a rear extension in 2021, which he never completed. The 60-year-old then paid himself more than £11,000 in funds from his GR Developments 1 Ltd company at the time it was entering liquidation. Roberts, of Old Spot Way, Winsford, pleaded guilty to fraudulently removing property in anticipation of the winding-up of a company, contrary to section 206 of the Insolvency Act 1986. He was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for two years, at Chester Magistrates' Court on Monday. He was also ordered to complete 20 days of community rehabilitation activity, pay £1,000 in costs, and a £154 surcharge. David Snasdell, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said that Roberts had 'left his victim in a state of utter desperation after wrecking her home.' 'He never should have even signed a contract with her, as he knew his company was in financial trouble.' Mr Snasdell noted that the back of the victim's house was 'completely exposed to the elements, having been knocked down from the kitchen.' Roberts and his company also 'left a huge mess' in her garden, with pictures showing debris and rubble everywhere. 'Protecting the public from rogue traders such as Roberts is something the Insolvency Service takes extremely seriously. Fraudulent behaviour which causes clear financial harm to innocent people will be thoroughly investigated by the agency.' Roberts first signed a contract with his customer at the start of May 2021, promising to complete an extension to the rear of her property. Within a week, she had paid the rogue trader a £10,000 deposit, before making a further payment of £7,000 at the end of June that year. Weeks after signing the contract, Roberts received advice from professionals about placing his company into liquidation. He would pay himself £11,513 in company money between May and July 2021, when he knew the company was insolvent. The Cheshire tradesman never finished the project and the victim had to employ other tradesmen to finish the extension in April 2022, losing out on the £17,000 she had initially handed over to Roberts. GR Developments 1 Ltd was eventually dissolved n January 2023. Roberts has been banned as a company director for 10 years for his misconduct at GR Developments 1 Ltd, with the disqualification in place until February 2034. He was also ordered to pay his victim more than £10,000 in compensation.
BBC News
02-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Winsford rogue trader left 'gaping hole' in victim's Cheshire home
A builder left a "gaping hole" in a woman's house after charging her more than £17,000 for work when his firm was about to go bust, a court has Roberts, 60, was supposed to be fitting a rear extension on to the property in Cheshire in Magistrates' Court heard his business was on the brink of insolvency when he took the pre-payment for the work, which was never of Old Spot Way, Winsford, has been given a six-month sentence suspended for two years. Roberts pleaded guilty to fraudulently removing property in anticipation of the winding-up of a company, contrary to section 206 of the Insolvency Act 1986.A large section of the rear of the house was left knocked down, with rubble strewn across the garden, the hearing was asked his victim to pay upfront for the work, despite his company, GR Developments 1 Ltd, being in financial difficulties at the court heard Roberts knew this as he sought professional advice on placing the company into liquidation just weeks later. He signed a contract with his customer at the start of May 2021, promising to complete an extension to the rear of her one week, the victim had paid a deposit of £10,000, with a further payment of £7,000 made at the end of June that Roberts never finished the project and the victim had to pay out to employ other tradespeople, with the work completed in April also paid himself £11,513 in company money in May and July 2021, when he knew GR Developments 1 Ltd was insolvent, the court heard. He has been ordered to pay his victim more than £10,000 in compensation, £1,000 in costs and a £154 victim is also required to complete 20 days of community rehabilitation activity. 'Utter desperation' Roberts has been banned as a company director for 10 years for his misconduct at GR Developments 1 Ltd, with the disqualification in place until February 2034. GR Developments 1 Ltd was eventually dissolved in January Snasdell from the Insolvency Service said the rear of the house was left completely exposed to the elements, and there was "a huge mess in her garden"."Gary Roberts left his victim in a state of utter desperation after wrecking her home," he said. "He never should have even signed a contract with her, as he knew his company was in financial trouble." Read more stories from Cheshire on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC North West on X. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
