A cowboy builder that ripped off elderly women and carried out shoddy work has been sentenced at Truro Crown Court.

Stephen McCann of Pitt Lane, St Columb Major, Cornwall pleaded guilty at Truro Crown Court on March 16 to three offences relating to shoddy building work, overcharging and failure to give cancellation notices to two elderly female customers in a case investigated by Cornwall Trading Standards.

McCann was sentenced to six months imprisonment for each offence, suspended for a period of 18 months, to run concurrently and a two month curfew to run from 7pm until 7am daily. He was also ordered to pay £1,140.66 compensation to one of his victims and £4,000 costs.

McCann, who also goes by the name of Jones, was at the time of this offending subject to a three year conditional discharge from the courts relating to similar offences committed in July 2012. This was also investigated by Trading Standards.

Trading Standards were first alerted to these new offences following a call by one of McCann’s victims.

Door to door enquiries in the vicinity unearthed further offending at a neighbouring property.

McCann had failed to issue both customers with written cancellation rights for the work carried out.

McCann had also completed the work to a very poor standard, according to a report by a chartered Building surveyor, who quoted that rectification work was required to the tune of £1140.66.

McCann was sentenced by Judge Carr for three offences, two under the Fraud Act 2006 for failing to disclose information required under the Cancellation of Contracts made in a Consumer’s Home or place of Work etc Regulations 2008, and one offence under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 for failing to meet the requirements of professional diligence, relating to poor quality workmanship in the field of property maintenance.

Nigel Strick fair trading team manager for Cornwall Trading Standards said: “The persistent nature of this traders offending has been a concern to Trading Standards. We hope that this sentence will convince the trader to mend their ways, proving that crime does not pay.”