A rogue builder whose victims included a disabled pensioner has been jailed following an investigation by Pembrokeshire County Council Trading Standards.
Scott Keane (42), of Milford Haven, carried out shoddy and overpriced work on roofs and chimneys which was subsequently deemed unsafe and required expensive remedial work. When contacted, he ignored requests to rectify problems he had caused and failed to provide refunds.
Keane undertook to replace a flat roof with a fibreglass roof in April 2021. Within days of being installed, the roof – for which he had charged £1,950 – began to lift away. It was found to be unsafe and needed to be removed and replaced at a further cost of £2,000.
In July of this year, Keane was asked to remove a chimney and repair a roof on a home in Milford Haven. He removed brickwork in a dividing wall between two properties, which created a fire risk. An expert subsequently brought in by Pembrokeshire Trading Standards also said the roof had been left prone to storm damage with potential for debris to cause further damage and injury.
The cost of putting the damage right was estimated at an additional £1,500.
At the time of carrying out the work, Keane had already been placed under a suspended prison sentence for leaving a disabled pensioner with a leaking roof that needed to be replaced.
On 6 October, Judge Geraint Walters sentenced Keane to six months in prison and activated four months of the suspended prison term, totalling 10 months in prison.
Keane had previously pleaded guilty to six offences under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations.
Cllr Michelle Bateman, Pembrokeshire Council Cabinet Member for Regulatory Services, said: “Pembrokeshire County Council is pleased with the imposition of a 10-month prison term for Scott Keane. The fact that he committed further unfair trading offences while placed under a suspended sentence shows a blatant disregard for the law and the impact of his offending on the victims.
“I commend our Trading Standards team for their diligent work in ensuring that once again Keane was not able to get away with providing shoddy work and leaving victims out of pocket.
“I hope this case once again underlines that we take rogue trader offences seriously and will prosecute wherever appropriate.”
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