Five dodgy builders, landscapers and handymen who ripped people off in Greater Manchester
07.08.2022 - 09:31
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Householders believed they were tradesmen who could be trusted to carry out work on their property. But these rogue traders left innocent members of the public out of pocket.
In some cases they overcharged for a poor quality job or pressurised people into having work done which they didn't need. In one case a trader even stole cash from a house while working on a job.
These types of offence don't always get the stiffest punishments - but they can cause huge inconvenience, if not misery to the victims. That means there is a significant public interest in reporting on their cases - so potential customers are fully informed before parting with any cash.
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Landscaper Patrick Brien conned two householders out of thousands of pounds for work that was never finished.
Brien, 46, fed the devastated victims a 'series of lies' and even told them to 'stop stressing' him.
Brien also issued threats before vanishing, taking their money and leaving their gardens a mess.
Facing justice for his crimes, Brien then launched an extraordinary outburst, calling the judge a 'muppet' and an 'a******e' , and vowing not to pay compensation ordered by the court.
Brien, of Rosette Walk, Swinton, was convicted after trial of four counts of fraud and three offences under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations, two relating to professional diligence and one to misleading action.
Last month, Brien was jailed for 36 weeks following a