Fraudulent builder sentenced after causing damage to house of Bury St Edmunds couple

A Bury St Edmunds couple who were left with a repair bill of more than £100,000 after work by a rogue builder are still waiting to hear if they will get any compensation after he was sentenced in court today.

Mark Everett, 52, of Whepstead Road, Hawstead was sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court to 24 months in custody, suspended for 24 months, and 180 hours of unpaid work to be completed within one year.

Liz Cummins, 49, used money inherited from her late father Leonard to convert her house in Garland Street into the family home she and partner Kelly Cameron, 47, had dreamed of.

In 2016 Everett, a builder recommended by a friend, was hired to complete a loft conversion and single-storey extension.

But his actions left the couple with a total repair bill of more than £100,000.

Everett last month pleaded guilty to engaging in fraudulent commercial practice.

No financial order has yet been made but Judge John Devaux said compensation of around £50,000 is likely to be awarded in a future hearing - possibly in June.

Alison Hollis, representing the complainants, told the court that Everett's work left the house in an unsafe condition which the financially-stricken family had no choice but to live in. She also described how the 'turmoil' had strained relationships and led to family members feeling 'stressed' and 'depressed'.

Afterwards, Ms Cummins said: "It was not the outcome we were hoping for. We are happy to be getting some money, but we were hoping for a little more.

"I thought today would be the end of it but (with the further hearing) it is still ongoing."

She added: "It's one of those things you think will never happen to you. We saw examples of his (Everett's) work and he was recommended. It makes us wary now and now we need to hire somebody to get the loft area sorted."

The couple had no complaints about Everett not being made to serve time behind bars.

The court heard the defendant sold his Hawstead house for £600,000 and moved in to his parents house in Risby with his two sons aged 19 and 16. An order had frozen £100,000 worth of his assests for potential court costs.

Everett failed to tell the family and building control about the presence of a well, which was discovered during the building work and he failed to satisfactorily support the structure.

In addition, the building work undertaken required approval from building regulations and the instruction of a structural engineer, neither of which happened. The survey also found that the customer significantly overpaid for the work; over £58,000 had been paid, however the work completed has been valued at only £18,500.

Everett came to be prosecuted after work by Suffolk Trading Standards.

Mary Strang, principal Trading Standards officer, said: “We are pleased to have brought this rogue trader to justice. Not only is it important to secure such convictions to protect residents, but also to protect legitimate traders.

“It can be difficult to find a builder to carry out home improvements but using a resource such as Checkatrade and checking for Suffolk Trading Standards Approved traders, is a good way to find reliable contractors.”

Everett, wearing a striped shirt, did not speak during the hearing. His counsel Mitchell Cohen argued against custody time, raising the fact his client had pleaded guilty.