A rogue trader who charged an elderly Reading resident almost £200,000 for unnecessary and substandard work has been jailed for two years suspended for 18 months.

Levi Davies, 24, of Manor Park, Kidlington, pleaded guilty at Reading Magistrates’ Court on October 13 after trying to scam six vulnerable people across Reading and the South East, some of which paid using their life savings.

One of his victims was Sheila Cooper, 78, who Davies cold-called in June 2019, quoting her £2,000 to repaint her home with weatherproof paint before charging her £7,250 for structural works worth less than £500.

“I was very pleased with Trading Standards they were excellent. I would not have given a statement and be willing to attend court without them,” said Ms Cooper.

“Trading Standards were there for me when I worried, and when I thought Levi was going to return, they put me at ease.

“I am thankful to the Judge for ordering the compensation of £4,000.”

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Davies was ordered to pay a total of £66,560 in compensation for participating in a fraudulent business carried on by a sole trader and engaging in a misleading commercial practice, among other charges.

He did so under the business names LJ Building Services and Manor Property Services over a three year period between 2016 and 2019.

Margaret Hunt, 87 and her now late husband, were targeted by Mr Davies in 2019 when they required a cowl fitted to their chimney and found him listed in a directory.

Mr and Mrs Hunt were told by Mr Davies that extensive work was required to their property, including repointing, replacing tiles and cleaning their patio.

They paid a total of £1,100 to Mr Davies for work which was assessed by the prosecution expert to be worth only £555.

A judge handed Davies 250 hours of unpaid work, as well as £2,000 in costs, plus a victim surcharge. 

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Cllr Karen Rowland, Lead Councillor for Environmental Services and Community Safety, said: “These cases highlight the very serious problem with rogue traders targeting elderly and vulnerable residents and defrauding them into parting with thousands of pounds by making false and misleading claims.

“This investigation extended far beyond just those in Reading. I would like to sincerely thank officers and our partners, whose meticulous investigations spanning a number of months have ensured recourse for our vulnerable residents.

“Residents are reminded to always thoroughly research any company or business before hiring them to carry out work. Our advice is never to agree to work without getting written quotes from two or three reputable traders and compare them.”