Builder who scammed elderly Kenilworth couple given suspended sentence
He has also been banned from being a company director for five years
A builder who scammed an elderly Kenilworth couple has been given a three-year suspended prison sentence.
23-year-old Patrick Noel Doherty, of Salter Street, Earlswood, Solihull, traded as Shakespeare Driveways & Patios Ltd pleaded guilty to fraud following a prosecution brought by Warwickshire County Council Trading Standards Service.
Doherty appeared before Recorder Mason KC at Warwick Crown Court for sentencing on 19th October 2026.
He was handed 27 months for the Trading Standards fraud offences and received a consecutive nine months for a section 20 offence under the Offences against the Person Act 1861.
Doherty was also given a concurrent three months for having a bladed article, which was suspended.
He was also ordered to complete 120 hours of unpaid work and attend 25 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days.
Doherty had already spent 10 months in prison on remand for other matters before the sentence.
Trading Standards said the couple, aged 89 and 91, hired Doherty's company after a flyer was posted through their door.
The flyer included the Guild of Master Craftsmen logo and a reference to Checkatrade.
Trading Standards said it was later discovered the business had never been a member of the Guild of Master Craftsmen.
What started as a verbal quote of £600 for weeding, cleaning and sealing the couple's driveway quickly grew, according to Trading Standards.
It said Doherty repeatedly claimed to have discovered serious defects with the couple's home.
Over several days, he told them water had damaged the damp course and concrete above a patio door was crumbling and in danger of causing the doors to fall out.
He also told them the roof had cracked tiles and a damaged chimney that would fall if not repaired, along with other defects needing urgent attention.
The couple agreed to the extra work without any written quotations, contracts or cancellation rights.
Trading Standards said Doherty knew one of the couple had memory issues and was deaf, and exploited the vulnerabilities of the couple.
He later claimed he had agreed further work with them by a handshake.
Trading Standards said the couple felt compelled to agree because he presented the repairs as necessary and urgent.
The work that began with a £600 verbal quote ended with Doherty demanding £39,000.
Trading Standards said he falsely told the couple the sum included £4,000 of bank charges because they were writing two cheques.
After the couple wrote several cheques, some of which were cancelled by their bank, Doherty took £18,450 and gave what Trading Standards have called a worthless 10-year guarantee.
Trading Standards said during sentencing the court placed significant weight on the fact Doherty had paid his victims back £18,450, was 21 at the time of the offence and had no previous convictions.
Letters of mitigation shown to the court stated he had been struggling emotionally with drink and gambling issues.
Councillor Robert Gisbourne, Warwickshire County Councillor for Community Safety and Trading Standards, said:
“Rogue traders often rely on pressure selling, misleading statements and fear tactics. Their targeting of vulnerable residents is utterly deplorable.
“Our Trading Standards Service will continue to work tirelessly to identify, investigate and prosecute rogue traders. Anyone considering targeting residents in Warwickshire should be very clear about this; we will be utterly committed to pursuing offenders through the courts.”