Crime Solicitors

Coventry Council’s Trading Standards department has assisted in the prosecution of Birmingham-based plumbing companies, which defrauded elderly customers by charging rates of up to £280 per hour for simple jobs, such as unblocking a lavatory.

The plumbing firm advertised in Yellow Pages as emergency plumbers offering elderly customers a discount – yet charged up to £280 an hour.

Duane Linton, 34, of Wood Lane in Handsworth, Birmingham was company director of Plumb-Tech Plumbing and Heating Ltd – based in Great Barr, Birmingham – as well as Plumb-Tech Plumbing and Heating 1 Ltd of Wood Lane in Handsworth.

Linton pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation and was jailed for two years and eight months.

Sub-contractor Otis Wray, 44, of Birdbrook Road in Birmingham was also jailed for nine months and ordered to pay £2,000 costs and compensation to victims of £1,113.

Peter Hawketts, 55, of Vardon Way in Kings Norton was jailed for 16 months – and Patrick Thawe, 45, of Little Park in Quinton was sentenced to 20 months in jail.

An investigation by Staffordshire County Council’s Trading Standards with the assistance of Staffordshire police found that, once a call had been made, Linton sent out sub-contracted plumbers from Birmingham.

Coventry City Council’s Trading Standards and Consumer Protection Manager, Allan Harwood, said:

“This case is a good example of how Trading Standards from different authorities work together to tackle the matter of rogue traders who take advantage of vulnerable consumers.

“We advise using traders by personal recommendation of friends or family –
or by vetted schemes such as Trusted Trader, which is run in partnership between Trading Standards and Age UK.”

In one incident, two plumbers arrived at a home and charged a rate of £672 per hour to unblock a lavatory.

They then returned the following day to do non-emergency work on a soil pipe at the property, where an emergency rate was again charged. The total cost for “unblocking” the lavatory came to £5,642.

Victims were targeted between March 2014 and January 2016.

The court also heard that claims in advertisements were untrue – and basic parts were not carried by the plumbers, who subsequently took “an inordinate amount of time” to source them and charged that at a premium rate.

Duncan Lewis Fraud Lawyers

Duncan Lewis fraud lawyers can advise at any stage of a charge involving fraud, including charges relating to:

• Benefit fraud
• Boiler room scams
• Company fraud
• Conveyancing fraud
• Credit card fraud
• Financial fraud
• Identity fraud
• Immigration fraud
• Insurance fraud
• Investment fraud
• Misrepresentation
• Mortgage fraud
• Motor insurance fraud
• Online fraud
• Passport/visa fraud
• Ponzi schemes
• Ticketing fraud
• White collar crime.

There are Duncan Lewis offices nationwide and in most major cities – and Duncan Lewis can attend interviews under caution with investigating and prosecuting authorities, such as local council fraud teams, SFO, FCA, BIS, Insolvency Service, police, City of London Police, HMRC, DWP, and Border Force.

For expert legal advice on all fraud charges, call Duncan Lewis fraud lawyers on 0333 772 0409.

For 24/7 help at a police station, call the Duncan Lewis Solicitors 24-Hour Emergency Helpline on 0333 772 0607.