Trading Standards officials in Sandwell have welcomed the successful prosecution of a cowboy builder who conned a resident out of more than £16,000.

David Lutwyche, aged 28, of Slough, Berkshire, was jailed for two years when he appeared at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Monday.

He admitted conspiring to defraud 64-year-old Arthur Bird of Farm Road, Oldbury in 2007.

In September 2007, Sandwell Trading Standards received a complaint from the resident who believed he was a victim of a 'rogue' trader.

The victim said he had been 'cold' called by a man who told him that work was required to his roof.

Since he was concerned about his roof he agreed to have the work done. During August 2007 the victim had paid out a total of £16,635.50 to a 'builder' who had been sent to do the work by the man who had originally called.


The man phoned the victim numerous times to tell him further work, at further cost, was required.

When the man failed to return the victim contacted Sandwell Trading Standards and the case was investigated by the Sandwell Doorstep Crime Partnership.

They use their combined skills to investigate rogue trader incidents in Sandwell.

They commissioned a survey on the property that revealed the work was unnecessary, of little value and that the property had been left in a dangerous condition causing a health and safety hazard.

The rogue trader was identified as Lutwyche, a known itinerant. Through the partnership police arrested him in Oxfordshire in December 2008.

He appeared before West Bromwich Magistrates' Court and was remanded in custody.

Through Black Country Housing, Trading Standards were able to get the victim's kitchen roof repaired for £611.

Sandwell Trading Standards manager, Bob Robinson, said after the hearing: "We are pleased to see that our efforts in prosecuting this case have resulted in a successful sentencing and that the court shared our serious view of the nature of this crime.

"This is a shocking example of a con perpetrated on a vulnerable member of society with the resident's roof left in a worse state than before the work was undertaken."

(CD/JM)