Ian Cottle (pictured) left victims with bills running into the thousands of pounds following work described by a judge as ‘positively dangerous’
A cowboy builder with a ‘blatant disregard for safety’ made nearly £30,000 from customers who he left with cement-stained windows and falling-down walls.
Ian Cottle’s building firm left victims with bills running into the thousands of pounds following work described by a judge as ‘positively dangerous’.
The 52-year-old, who was jailed for 22 months, lied to customers that he was City and Guilds qualified, as well as being fully insured.
One customer revealed how he ripped down a neighbour’s wall without planning permission, and often borrowed tools from customers as he did not buy his own.
Prosecutors said he quoted the first complainant Brenda Penny £2,450 for work including plastering, re-wiring and fencing, but did not write anything down.
Cottle, from Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, started work the same day, ripping down her wall and a neighbour’s wall, despite her concerns about planning permission.
The court heard he asked for £1,000 to buy materials and failed to return when Ms Penny did not pay the full amount.
He claimed one of his workers had a migraine, then failed to answer her calls, emails or letters.
Prosecutors said the victim had to find another builder to finish the work and was left nearly £1,400 out of pocket.
Bags of cement, building materials, rubbish and bricks left behind by Cottle in one of his many unfinished jobs
Cottle quoted the second complainant Deanne Jones £19,000. The court heard two young men who appeared ‘unskilled’ turned up at her house without any tools.
Prosecutors said the defendant was angry when she called Building Control to inspect the work, which it concluded was ‘a safety risk’.
Cottle arranged to meet the inspector, but failed to turn up and sent Ms Jones threatening messages when she told him she did not want him to continue.
The court heard she lost more than £10,000 after having to pay for skips and for a new builder to correct the work, which left a wall at risk of collapsing.
Mr Reynolds said Cottle told Helen Cade and Gary Jones it would take about two weeks to render their house.
Two workers arrived and left cement on the couple’s brand new windows. A few days later, no-one turned up and Cottle stopped replying to his customers’ messages.
The court heard a reputable renderer found that no waterproofing agent had been used and the work had to be completely re-done.
Ian Cottle’s building firm left victims with bills running into the thousands of pounds following work described by a judge as ‘positively dangerous’
Cottle turned up a day late after a holiday in Spain to start work for Robert and Linda Killick.
Prosecutors said he quoted them £4,600 to refurbish their kitchen and they paid him a £2,400 deposit by cheque.
His workers short-circuited the electrics when they knocked a wall down and used a ‘totally unstable’ piece of wood to support the structure.
Cottle told Mr Killick the appropriate props were not available as he was using them for another job.
The customer overheard a conversation in which a worker told Cottle a pillar had cracked, but was told to ‘carry on’.
Prosecutors said the couple had grandchildren coming to stay and Building Control concluded the whole floor could have collapsed.
The 52-year-old lied to customers that he was City and Guilds qualified, as well as being fully insured
An inspector said the work showed ‘a total lack of common sense’ and ‘a blatant disregard for safety’.
Mr Killick asked for his deposit back and the defendant told him to ‘stop pestering’, adding he should take him to court if he wanted a refund.
Zara-Louise Edwards found the company on yell.com and was quoted £450 to redecorate her son’s bedroom for his 10th birthday.
Prosecutors said the defendant collected the money, then a different man turned up to do the work and told her she was being overcharged.
The worker did not have any tools, had to borrow her paint brushes, spilt paint on the carpet and left handprints on the wall. The paint later started to peel.
Llinos Thomas gave Cottle £650 to buy materials and asked for a receipt, which the defendant said he would post through her letter box, but never did.
The court heard a worker turned up without a ladder. He got plaster on the radiator, window and borrowed ladder. She was left £650 out of pocket.
Cottle was arrested in February. Prosecutors said he had been before the courts for 22 previous offences, including ‘a significant amount of dishonesty’.
Mr Reynolds said the case had already cost around £20,000 and an application under the Proceeds of Crime Act would not be in the public interest.
Cottle from Barry, pleaded guilty to 14 counts under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations.
David Pinnell, defending, said Cottle left school at 16 and completed an apprenticeship in carpentry, before working as a kitchen fitter.
He told the court Cottle ‘overstretched’ himself by trying to start a company. The court heard ACE Plastering and Building Services has a turnover of £125,000.
The court heard the offending occurred between July 2015 and August 2016.
Judge Bidder disqualified him from being a company director for five years.
Cottle was jailed for 22 months and was ordered to pay £2,000 in compensation, plus £2,000 towards costs.