A heartbroken couple lost more than £30,000 to a rogue builder who left their new extension unfinished, with water pouring into their home.
Alarms bells had been raised earlier when Shelley Sawkins, 75, called the tradesman, and realised he was in Lanzarote spending money she had given him.
The builder, Christian Williams, 54, is currently serving a two-year prison sentence after admitting theft and three counts of fraud by false representation involving four families.
In a Proceeds of Crime Act, external hearing earlier this month, Mold Crown Court heard he had benefitted to the tune of £163,051.70 from his offending, but his assets available to pay back amounted to just £1.
Williams had been posting photos on Facebook of holidays and days out at the races, while one of his victims, a dad of three, had to finish his two-storey extension himself.
Shelley and husband Barry, 63, spent £50,000 in total getting the botched job at their bungalow in Buckley, Flintshire, fixed – almost £30,000 more than the initial quote of £21,000.
About £30,000 went to Williams, and £20,000 to other builders fixing the mess he had left.
But there are still major problems, including uneven flooring, and they are now desperate to move out of their once-beloved home and into sheltered accommodation.
“We paid the first installment. The work started, and then just stopped,” Shelley said.
“Then we saw he was in Lanzarote on holiday with our money.
“He would disappear for weeks and then come back with excuse after excuse.”
They had hoped work from Williams – trading as Chris Williams Construction – would make their lives easier, providing a spacious kitchen area.
But instead, it ruined their happy lifestyle, Shelley added.
The first sign the job was not up to scratch was when one of the walls started to wobble when pushed.
Then one night, after the roof had been worked on, rainwater began pouring into the house.
Shelley had been caring for her husband – who has Alzheimer’s disease, external – and added: “I was up in the middle of the night collecting water in buckets while trying to look after my husband.
“I didn’t have enough buckets.
“I was in tears. I was constantly in tears. It was a nightmare.”
The project had seemed to suddenly stall soon after it began in 2023.
After handing Williams the job, they found he rarely attended the site himself, instead sending workers Shelley called “elderly and apparently unqualified to carry out much of the work”.
Despite the poor quality and apparent lack of progress, Williams kept pressing them for further payments.
He insisted this would speed things up.
However, it later transpired the suppliers of the extension’s specially-made bifold doors were never paid, and they couldn’t hand them over.
The couple had no choice but to pay for them again.
The impact of it extended way beyond the couple’s finances.
“We’re sitting in an extension that’s still not properly completed,” Shelley added.
“The flooring isn’t level, parts of the work were never finished, and we’ve spent years dealing with the consequences.
“I just wanted to run away from it all. It affected every part of our lives… our health, our home and our future.”
Image source, David Eddon
Meanwhile, a couple with three young children took on Williams to build a two-storey extension to their home – but described how the experience impacted them for years and put a strain on their relationship.
Dave Eddon, 42, and wife Claire had decided to extend their property in Higher Kinnerton, Flintshire, as they raised a one-year-old baby, and toddlers aged two and four.
Williams had told them it would take about four months and cost £100,000, with work starting in September 2022.
Dave paid him more than £56,000 in installments but, after lots of progress in the first two weeks, barely anything was done in the next four months.
Lots of excuses followed – such as Williams being on holiday, and the unavailability of tradespeople or supplies.
After he abandoned the job the following February, the couple had to finish it with a combination of individual tradespeople and Dave’s own labour.
This was because other contractors refused to take it on – meaning they spent a further £60,000, leaving them £16,000 out of pocket.
“The project management [was] a significant drain… at a time in my life where I wanted to be spending as much time as possible with my young family,” Dave said.
“However, it was the only option I had to get out of the horrendous situation that he left us in.”
The stress meant his wife suffered “significant mental and physical symptoms”, including insomnia, heart palpitations, panic attacks, and many episodes of crying, he added.
Image source, David Eddon
A third victim, 75-year-old Mark Barber-Riley, from Holywell, employed Williams in March 2022, to build a downstairs bedroom for his disabled grandson.
Things started well, before work slowed.
The job was supposed to be completed by August but, by January 2023, it was still unfinished and Williams claimed he couldn’t get any workers to come.
“I found him an electrician,” said Mark.
“He [Williams] agreed to pay him… but then he contacted me to say that he had no money. I felt that was shocking.”
Mark paid Williams £44,000 – but ended up shelling out an extra £20,000 to get the job finished without him.
Expelled from register
Williams, 54, from Mynydd Isa, Flintshire, was jailed for two years last December after admitting one count of theft and three of fraud by false representation.
His victims called for better regulation to protect people who employed contractors.
The Federation of Master Builders, external (FMB) said Chris Williams Construction was permanently removed from its website in March 2023.
It had initially put the company under a monitoring process after receiving a complaint.
After a second complaint about delays and incomplete work, an investigation took place.
The results of this were put before a committee that included trading standards officers, and it was decided to expel the company from the federation.
“Despite our best efforts, including onsite inspection of work, financial vetting and 10 additional background checks, a very small minority of members fall below the standards we expect of our members – with only 2% of all jobs our members do resulting in a complaint,” a spokesperson said.
The FMB has long called for the licensing of builders, external.
Earlier this year, the Department for Business and Trade said it supported “the TrustMark scheme, external which helps consumers find good traders and provides redress if work does not meet those standards”.
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