It followed an investigation by the trading standards team at Barking and Dagenham Council
A prolific rogue trader who defrauded residents out of more than £100,000 has been jailed.
Aaron Lee Taylor, aged 36, was found guilty of three counts of fraudulent trading after he took money for home improvement works before demanding further payments and abandoning the jobs, often leaving homes in dangerous or barely habitable conditions.
The trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court followed a “long and complex investigation” by Barking and Dagenham Council’s trading standards team and the National Trading Standards Tri‑Regional Investigation Team (TRIT).
Taylor, who operated under a number of aliases, was sentenced in his absence to three years’ imprisonment on each count, to run concurrently.
Over a two‑year period, Taylor – described as a “cowboy builder” in court – took on six building jobs across the region. After securing payment from residents, he repeatedly increased costs before walking away having completed little or no work. Victims were left thousands of pounds out of pocket, facing large repair bills and, in some cases, unsafe homes.
The court heard that Taylor used various aliases, including ‘Aaron Stokes’, ‘Paul Smith’ and ‘Aran Taylor’, to disguise his identity. He also set up bogus companies such as ‘Elite Master Contractors Ltd’ and ‘EMC Building & Landscaping Ltd’ to give the impression of legitimacy.
Confiscation proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act will now follow, with the council seeking to recover funds obtained through Taylor’s criminal activity.
Syed Ghani, the council’s cabinet member for enforcement and community safety, said: “Protecting residents from rogue traders is one of our top priorities, and I’m proud of the work our trading standards team and TRIT have done to secure this outcome. This sentence sends a clear message that we will not tolerate those who exploit people in their own homes.
“We will now push ahead with confiscation proceedings to ensure the proceeds of these crimes are recovered.”
Lord Michael Bichard, chair of National Trading Standards, added: “This was calculated, repeated offending that saw people exploited in their own homes. This criminal abused trust to take money for work that was never finished and left victims facing financial loss, emotional distress and, in some cases, dangerous living conditions.
“Time behind bars sends a clear message that those who set out to defraud homeowners will be investigated thoroughly and held to account. I would urge anyone concerned about a trader’s behaviour to report it so others are protected from similar harm.”
Anyone who suspects a rogue trader is urged to report them by calling the Citizens Advice consumer service helpline on 0808 223 1133 or by emailing the council on tradingstandards@lbbd.gov.uk.
