A ‘rogue trader’ who scammed vulnerable homeowners out of hundreds of thousands of pounds has been sentenced to prison. Hughie Smith, 49, from Fernlands Close, was sentenced at Hove Crown Court on Friday, 3 March, after he pleaded guilty to a number of fraud offences. Smith’s conviction was the result of joint working between Surrey and Sussex police forces, as well as Trading Standards.
Smith targeted an elderly couple in Knaphill in 2015, offering to fix a brick wall in their front garden. However, he soon intimidated the couple into having more work done around their property that they did not need, charging them exorbitant amounts of money for poor quality work. Smith’s fraud spiralled out of control and the couple ended up losing £180,000. Smith continued to scam his victims with follow-up calls, which led to their son becoming suspicious and calling the police. Further investigation revealed that Smith was at the head of a large-scale ‘rogue trader’ style fraud operating across Surrey and Sussex.
Trading Standards were called to the victims’ home to assess the work carried out by Smith and give their opinion as to how much should actually have been charged. It was revealed that the couple had been overcharged by more than £100,000.
Smith also targeted victims in Sussex, taking almost £200,000 from one victim over a period of nine months. He was supported in his offending by his sons, Michael and John, who were both found guilty of money laundering at Hove Crown Court on the same day.
Detective Constable Barnard, who led the investigation, said: “This is a great result following a very thorough investigation carried out in partnership with Sussex Police and Trading Standards. The lengthy prison sentence demonstrates that this sort of criminal behaviour will not be tolerated and should act as a deterrent to others who believe they can con vulnerable people out of huge sums of money and get away with it.”
The case highlights the importance of being wary of door-to-door scams. While legitimate businesses may sell products door-to-door, fraudsters may also knock on your door to part you from your money or get into your home to steal from you. Most door-to-door scams involve selling goods or services that are either not delivered or are very poor quality. You won’t get value for money and you may get billed for work you didn’t want or agree to. It is important to check the identity of anyone who comes to your door, and to never call the phone number on their ID card to check them out. Instead, find the company number on the internet and call that to verify their identity.
