Trader jailed for theft and fraud offences
A rogue trader has been sent to prison following a successful prosecution for the Vale of Glamorgan Council.
Shared Regulatory Services (SRS), which uphold trading standards for the Vale, Bridgend and Cardiff Local Authority areas, brought a case against Ian Cottle to Cardiff Crown Court.
Cottle had previously been sentenced to a 22-month custodial sentence in October 2017 after another SRS investigation.
Then, he pleaded guilty to 14 counts of engaging in unfair commercial practice, with a further five charges of fraud set to lie on file.
The Barry resident had committed a string of trading standards offences by misleading customers into giving him money for materials he did not purchase. He also failed to give cancellation rights and started work without permission.
As well as his prison sentence, Cottle was disqualified from operating as a company director for five years.
In this latest case, Cottle admitted one offence under the Theft Act 1968 and another under the 2006 Fraud Act.
They related to an incident in July last year when he attended a home in Rhoose and quoted a figure of £1100 for rendering a rear garden wall.
Cottle advised the residents that if they paid half of that sum immediately to cover materials, he would complete the work the following weekend. The only paperwork provided was a hand-written receipt.
However, Cottle did not carry out the work, failed to return the deposit and supplied no materials. At one point he also falsely claimed that he had repaid the money.
Recorder Andrew Hammond sentenced him to 12 months in prison for the theft offence and six months for fraud, with both terms to run concurrently.
He said that, whilst Cottle might be described as a rogue trader, he was in fact a criminal and thief who exploited the trust of reasonable people and his offences had caused stress and anxiety.
Hammond accepted the prosecution’s characterisation of where the offences fell in the sentencing guidelines and stated his previous 2017 convictions were an aggravating factor.
These were further compounded by the fact Cottle had been repeatedly given advice which he had ignored and had lied about repaying the money.
Cottle was also told to pay the required statutory surcharge, while a Compensation Order of £550 was made to the victims.
Cllr Ruba Sivagnanam, Vale of Glamorgan Council Cabinet Member for Community Engagement, Equalities and Regulatory Services, said: “Ian Cottle has a history of failing to complete building work satisfactorily. Thanks to some diligent work by SRS officers, he is now behind bars and unable to subject more people to the misery experienced by his victims.
“This case should also send a message to others who fail to comply with trading standards that such behaviour will not be tolerated.
“I would advise residents to obtain clear written quotations when having building work carried out. People should also be aware that the law allows a person to cancel contracts made at their home.
“It is prudent to take time and care when choosing traders and to ask for samples of their work. Ideally, the person selected should also be part of a relevant professional association.”
For more information on this subject, contact Citizens Advice.