Rogue Trader ordered to pay £63,000 in compensation

Robert Christopher Hughes, aged 27, was ordered to pay full compensation to five victims he had defrauded.

In a Proceeds of Crime Act case taken by Herefordshire Council’s Trading Standards, the court was told that Hughes’ benefit from crime over two years of his roofing business was £376,000. Hughes had withdrawn it all in cash and claimed to have blown the lot.

If Hughes fails to pay the £63,000 within 3 months he will face a further 12 month default prison sentence.

Hughes had previously received a four year custodial sentence back in February 2017 for fraud for carrying out unnecessary and vastly over-priced work. Trading under a false address in Pershore as R Hughes Roofing, he had placed large advertisements in local publications offering fake 50% discounts for roofing work, whilst falsely claiming to have a ‘TrustMark accreditation’.

His advertisements attracted numerous requests for him to fix simple problems, such as leaking gutters. However, once at a property he would falsely claim there were other serious problems which needed urgent attention, such as deteriorated roofing felt which needed to be replaced when it didn’t.

He would then charge up to four times the going rate for this unnecessary work. One 78 year old victim paid £36,000 for wholly unnecessary roof repairs, which left their roof in a far worse state than before.

Marc Willimont, Herefordshire Council’s head of development management and regulation, said: “The council has a zero tolerance policy on rogue trading and our Trading Standards team will work tirelessly to crack down on anyone preying on vulnerable residents. This case clearly demonstrates that the courts also take rogue trading very seriously and we are delighted with this judgement which should ensure the victims receive a full refund.”