Builder jailed after customers left £200,000 out of pocket

A cowboy builder who lost customers £200,000 has been sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison, following a successful prosecution by Cornwall Council.

Scott Andrew Murray, 36 of Nancegollan, Helston, was sentenced on Thursday for fraudulent trading offences having pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing.

Between July 2018 and March 2023 Murray was a director of Icon Landscapes Limited, providing general landscaping and garden projects. In January 2023, after Icon Landscapes went into administration, he started a business called Select Landscapes, offering similar services.

Whilst operating these businesses, Murray systematically exhibited fraudulent business practices. Cornwall Council’s Trading Standards Officers investigated 19 incidents where local consumers had incurred significant losses. 

Customers highlighted a number of issues, including:

• Taking deposits and staged payments for landscaping materials and works without offering any formal contracts.
• Failing to start work or completing work to a poor and unsafe standard.
• Claiming to have ordered materials for which he had been paid, when this was proven not to be the case.
• Providing a series of false claims to customers as excuses for not starting or completing work, including blaming the skills of his workers and falsely claiming his father had died.

In one case, a pergola was built that was so low, the customer was unable to stand underneath it. Murray’s fix was to prop it up on blocks of wood.

At the same property, workers removed the wrong branch from a tree and attempted to hide the damage by screwing it back on.

At another property, a metre-high breeze block wall that was built directly on top of patio slabs, with no stabilising foundations. A patio was also laid directly on top of a wooden post which Murray had told the customer had been removed.

The total loss to the victims was £200,000. Despite the financial misery inflicted on his customers, investigations into Murray’s finances highlighted over £40,000 of personal spending on restaurants, takeaways, entertainment and holidays during this time. This was in addition to the salary he had been drawing from the businesses.

Prior to sentencing, Murray paid around £82,000 in refunds to some of his victims.

Sentencing at Truro Crown Court, Judge Simon Carr said Murray was a terrible businessman who took on work that he knew he was incapable of doing. He added that Murray’s actions had a devastating effect on his victims and that several died after spending their final years hoping for a beautiful garden.

Councillor Martyn Alvey, the portfolio holder responsible for Public Protection at Cornwall Council, said: “I congratulate our Trading Standards team in securing another successful prosecution case for this type of offending.

“The financial and emotional impact that these crimes leave on their victims cannot be under-estimated. There will always be situations where genuine businesses fail, but we hope that this sends a strong message to those who intentionally exploit their customers and give no thought to the consequences of their actions. I would always encourage consumers to seek an approved trader through the Trading Standards approved Buy With Confidence scheme, wherever possible.”

Gary Webster, Group Leader for Trading Standards, added: “We would like to thank the victims in this case for their patience and support in bringing this case before the courts.

“As this case demonstrates, it can take a long time to bring these cases to a conclusion. Victims often face the prospect of not seeing a penny in compensation, but their willingness to support the prosecution process is vital in securing convictions.”