A rogue landscaper who carried out "shoddy" work in a woman's garden has been ordered to pay her compensation of £17,000. He forced her to pay for more work and then accused her of underpaying by £400.
Jason Jones, 36, of Pontypool, lied in an advertisement in a residents' handbook in Blackwood, claiming he had a waste carrier licence. He was contacted by his victim who asked for a quote for a retaining wall to be knocked down and rebuilt in her back garden.
The defendant attended the victim's home and initially gave a quote of £8,700 for work to the wall as well as laying patio paving slabs and steps. He also quoted £6,300 for work on the driveway and £700 for the building of a small wall above the driveway. They agreed on a price of £13,000 with the defendant saying he would start work in July 2021.
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He began work on May 10, 2021, and the victim arranged to pay him £3,000 for the material via a bank transfer. But once the work had started he advised her she needed further work for the installation of a ramp for £5,000. The victim spoke to her daughter and told Jones she did not want a ramp built he continued to "pester" her, which amounted to aggressive commercial practice.
As work progressed Jones asked for more money including sums of £2,500, £5,000, and £5,500 respectively. The final total amount paid to the defendant by the victim came to £17,700 and she had to borrow money from her partner.
Problems became apparent with the work carried out by Jones with a drain overflowing but when she contacted the defendant he told her it "wasn't her problem". He later visited the property and accused the victim of underpaying him by £400, which caused her to be upset.
He told the victim's daughter he would "write off" the £400 if she signed a receipt stating they had paid £7,500 for the work. This was an attempt by Jones to "cover his tracks" and limit his liability.
An investigation was launched by Caerphilly council trading standards which found there were issues with the foundation of the supporting wall, a non-compliance with various building regulations resulting in steps which were dangerous, while the top of the wall had been left exposed and would deteriorate and the binding on slabs on the pathway had not been done properly. It was found there was a "distinct lack of attention to detail, poor workmanship, and incomplete work". The council found the work carried out was worth in the region of £14,000 – almost £4,000 less than what the victim had paid.
Jones, of Upper Race, Pontypool, later pleaded guilty to misleading, aggressive, and unfair commercial practices. He was sentenced to to five months in prison suspended for 12 months. The defendant was also ordered to carry out a 21-day rehabilitation activity requirement and 150 hours of unpaid work and made him subject to Proceeds of Crime Act proceedings.
A Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday heard Jones benefited to the tune of £17,700 from his offending and had assets worth £72,000. Judge Shoman Khan ordered the defendant to pay the defendant compensation of £17,700 and court costs of £4,435. He has three months to pay the sums or serve an additional nine months imprisonment in default.
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