Its seems that rogue trading runs in the family after the recent sentencing of cowboy paver John Coffey from Cardiff.
Just last year his brother and former director of Interlock Drives Limited, Jim Coffey, was sentenced to 3 years and 4 months for committing countless acts of rogue trading offences. John however, got off a little lighter and was sentenced to 150 hours of unpaid work by Northavon Magistrates Court. The 32 year old, who is the current director of Interlock, pleaded guilty to fraud when he stood before the judge back in mid-August.
John Coffey scammed a widow from Hanham, which sits on the outskirts of Bristol. The victim Geraldine Parfrey recruited Interlock Drives to pressure wash and seal her patio and driveway after receiving a cold call from one of their employees. But Interlock werent satisfied with the £150 job they bagged, instead they went onto convince Mrs Parfrey that the algae on her exterior walls was eating though the damp proof course of her home. The damage would result in a £1,500 bill.
Mrs Parfrey was so terrified that she agreed to the work but later became suspicious and reported Interlock Drives to South Gloucestershire Trading Standards. It was found that there was minor algae sitting on the outside walls of her home but the amount was not damaging the structure of her property. It was concluded that the emergency works initiated by Interlock were in fact unnecessary.
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