Rogue Builder Sentenced

Published on: 14 Oct, 2025
Updated on: 18 Oct, 2025

Isleworth Crown Court. Google

By Chris Caulfield

local democracy reporter

A “despicable” scammer who used “aggression and harassment” to con an 86-year-old woman out of nearly £12,000 has been given a 10-month suspended sentence and order to repay all the money.

Lawrence Cash, 30, of Bagshot Road in Brookwood, will have to pay the money to the estate of Mary Naylor, who died before seeing him face justice, and £5,400 towards prosecution costs and a £187 victim surcharge.

He will also serve a 15 month community order. It follows an investigation by Hillingdon Borough Council trading standard officers.

Cash was sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court on Monday, October 6, having pleaded guilty earlier this year to fraud by false representation, engaging in unfair commercial practice, and engaging in aggressive commercial practice.

The rogue builder first targeted Ms Naylor in September 2022 when he offered to clean her driveway.

After carrying out what the council described as a substandard clean, he suggested other so-called faults that needed work: her chimney was going to fall onto her roof, a flat roof needed to be replaced, as well as the replacement of her boiler and heating system.

Cash then wrote a deliberately backdated invoice to give the impression Ms Naylor had ignored any cancellation rights and that he had not broken any cooling off periods, the council said.

Ms Naylor was also told to write cheques in smaller amounts to avoid her bank becoming suspicious but became increasingly distressed as Cash repeatedly visited her house, inventing new jobs.

After trading standards were contacted, officers notified Cash he was under investigation and should not return to the property, the court heard.

Hillingdon Borough Council then contracted an independent surveyor that found much of the work had not been required and was of a poor standard.

Sentencing, Judge Mr Recorder Miskin KC, said Cash had been arrested previously for a similar fraud.

Cllr Eddie Lavery, Hillingdon Council’s cabinet member for community and environment, said: “This case was a despicable example of a vulnerable resident being exploited by a scammer using aggression, harassment and unfair practices.

“The victim in this case sadly passed away before getting to see Cash brought to justice, but I hope this result brings some comfort to those who knew what she’d gone through.

“Our trading standards team has a duty to protect consumers from being defrauded, misled and unfairly treated and we’ll always take the firmest action against those who seek to exploit those residents most at risk.”

Cash’s prison sentence is suspended for two years while the community order requires he undertakes 200 hours of unpaid work with 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days. A fourth count was ordered to lie on file.