Rogue builders jailed for conning York man out of £92,000

Two rogue builders have been sentenced after defrauding a man in his 60s out of nearly £93,000 in York.

Patrick Connors, 44, and John McEvoy, 33, have been jailed for five and three years respectively after admitting to fraudulently obtaining £92,930.

The pair targeted a man who lived alone on the outskirts of York.

They claimed urgent repairs were needed on his home.

Despite him initially refusing, they pressured him into agreeing to the work.

Connors and McEvoy then 'discovered' other issues that needed 'urgently fixing'.

Detective Constable Nick Lane said “The victim paid a total of £92,930 for very little building work done to his house, and even that was to a very poor standard as confirmed by an expert witness surveyor who assessed it and produces a report on his findings."

He warned that genuine workers will never turn up at houses uninvited, but will make appointments and carry ID.

“Trust your instincts regarding suspicious activity and keep look out for your relatives and neighbours who may be more vulnerable to such cold-call approaches” he continued.

Further suspects related to the fraud are under investigation.

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