Rogue builder left client in the lurch after gambling away deposit

A builder in Exeter, England literally played the house when he used a GBP 22,528.33 deposit from a homeowner who had contracted his services to buy cocaine and gamble on internet websites instead of completing the contract.

The problem was that builder Craig Scott (30) had already demolished part of the client’s home before vanishing with the deposit on his addictive binge, a local court heard this week. His actions left the homeowner and his family with a half-built home which they cannot afford to rebuild.

Scott had quoted GBP 67,585 to demolish an existing home extension and replace it with a new build, and the trusting homeowner paid over a deposit of GBP 22,528.33, the Exeter Crown Court was told.

The North Devon Journal reports that having started the demolition Scott then vanished, blowing GBP 2,000 of the money on drugs and the remainder on an unidentified online gambling website.

The debacle has ruined the family’s lives and embarrassed them, in addition to the financial prejudice it caused, the court heard.

“Our house has lost value which means we can no longer borrow enough money to repair the damage he has done and build the extension,” said the homeowner.

Scott admitted guilt and was sent to jail for 4 months by Recorder Paul Derbyshire, who said in passing sentence:

”This was by any standards a cruel and unmerciful deception, not only on the Lewis family but also the other contractors who you hired and who were left without payment.

“You took more than GBP 22,000 of Mr Lewis’ money and spent it on cocaine and gambling over a period of a very few days. The court must have regard to the victim personal statement.

“The effects have been disastrous and I have to consider the devastating effect this has had on the family.”

Prosecutors told the court that Scott had surrendered himself to a local police station in June this year and admitted his wrongdoing.