Rogue roofer who targeted homeowners in Chorley and Manchester sentenced
John Joseph Collins has been handed a suspended 22-month jail sentence
A rogue roofer who scammed homeowners in Chorley and Greater Manchester out of thousands of pounds has been handed a suspended 22-month jail sentence.
John Joseph Collins, of Heather Street in Manchester, was given the sentence suspended for 18 months after admitting to four charges of fraudulent trading.
The court heard how Collins worked under fake names, including Chris Taylor, Ryan Taylor and John Wilkinson.
He also operated under the business names of Ideal Landscapers, New Age Roofing Specialists and Greenacre Landscape Services.
Collins targeted homeowners searching for landscaping and roofing services on platforms like Bark.com and My Builder.
He scammed one address in Chorley and three in Greater Manchester between April 2024 and April 2025.
In total he made £10,600 from doing minimal work and unfinished landscaping jobs.
This meant his victims had to pay more to have the works re-done or completed.
Paul Noone, Head of Trading Standards at Lancashire County Council, said: "John Joseph Collins failed to carry out work or carried out poor-quality work, whilst gaining substantial amounts of money paid upfront. Thanks to the efforts of our officers, he's now banned from carrying on with his fraudulent work."
Collins was also handed a three-year Criminal Behaviour Order, prohibiting him from offering or carrying out work at residents' homes until 23rd March 2029.