Cowboy builders who conned elderly in North Yorkshire jailed

They targeted more than 20 people by carrying out work which was unnecessary then charged customers above the value of the jobs undertaken.

North Yorkshire Council, whose trading standards officers investigated the gang, said homes were often left in a much worse state after the work, requiring huge amounts of money to put them right.

Judge Howard Crowson said at Teesside Crown Court, in Middlesbrough, this had been a well-organised fraud, involving a large sum of money for little or no work.

He described it as “a wholly dishonest business”.

Four gang members were sentenced on Friday (July 12).

Lawrence Newbury Jnr, 33, of Northwich, Cheshire, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud, conspiracy to convert criminal property and to being a member of an organised crime group. He was sentenced to seven years.

John Mealin, 39, of Staindrop Street, Hartlepool, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud. He received five years and three months for these and other unrelated offences.

John Mealin (Image: Cleveland Police)

Aonghus O’Reilly, 49, of no fixed address, was convicted at trial of conspiracy to defraud and conspiracy to launder and was sentenced to three years.

Stephen Cantello, 59, of Manchester, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to launder during his trial last year and received 17 months, suspended for two years.

A further six defendants are set to be sentenced at the end of the month.

The court heard that Newbury Jnr was the ringleader of the gang. He and the other members put their victims through harrowing ordeals, with many thousands of pounds taken in the frauds.

As well as his custodial sentence, Newbury Jnr also received a 10-year criminal behaviour order, preventing him from cold calling or interacting with customers.

Lawrence Newbury Jnr (Image: Greater Manchester Police)

'These people are predators and should be ashamed' - victim

One victim in his 90s and who has since died was from Stokesley.

Initially, he was asked for £1,400 for building work to be carried out on his home and not long after a further £400. After handing over the cash, he was then asked for another £12,000 and was only prevented from writing out a cheque when a neighbour intervened.

The work carried out had no value at all, according to a surveyor who inspected the property

In a victim impact statement, the man’s son said: “Dad didn’t open up about how he felt about things - indeed, he would internalise when things went wrong, so the effect of this offending could have been greater than I am aware.

“However, I believe dad continued to dwell on the incident. He told me he wasn’t sleeping too well afterwards and it’s likely he became more prone to anxiety living on his own.

“Dad lived a quiet life and mostly kept to himself but the stress of what had taken place would certainly not have aided his health.

“These people are predators and should be ashamed. They are preying on vulnerable people and must be stopped and made to face the consequences of their actions.”

After the hearing, North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for trading standards, Cllr Greg White, said the men “took advantage of the elderly and vulnerable, taking money the victims had worked hard for throughout their lives”.

He commended the “diligence and hard work” of the council’s trading standards team.

“The sentences handed down by the court reflect this callousness and should serve as a stark warning to others,” Cllr White said.