Victim of rogue Wiltshire builders 'took shame to her grave'

Wiltshire builders Dean Smith and brothers Matty and James Rossiter filmed themselves bragging about ripping off 82-year-old John Bray in Calne.

They charged him £8,000 to replace a few tiles and admitted to “bodging” the job in a recording taken on his roof.

Mr Bray’s son, Steve, told the BBC he believed the “despicable” fraudsters had contributed to the death of his mother.

He said: “They made a video laughing and joking, insulting my dad, laughing and joking while they were doing more damage.

"The feelings my parents had - the shame and embarrassment - my mum took that feeling to her grave. That's the worst part."

During the video one builder filmed the work and said: “As you can see we are doing some roofing work here. We’re doing some bodging.”

Filming Mr Bray, he added: “As you can see the guy who we’re working for, he’s really old."

Another victim, 77-year-old Stuart Dye, came forward after watching the video because it "sickened" him.

He had lost £3,000 to the builders when they "fixed" his roof with tiles stolen from neighbours, leaving the site "a complete mess."

He said: "They were laughing at this elderly gentlemen and it just sickened me. It is disgusting - I felt so sorry for him."

John Bray and one of the builders. (Image: SWNS)

In total the trio defrauded customers aged 44 to 90 out of around £45,000 for work on 18 properties across Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Bristol.

Between October 2020 and March 2021, they charged victims, who also had to pay for damage to be put right, for unnecessary and overpriced work which was described by a chartered surveyor as “abysmal.”

The biggest losses were £9,000, £8,000 and £5,000.

Matty Rossiter, 18, and James Rossiter, 24, from Minety pleaded guilty to participating in a fraudulent business and fraud by false representation on June 24 last year.

The bodged job on Mr Bray's roof. (Image: SWNS)

Smith, 21, pleaded guilty to participating in a fraudulent business on July 25, 2022.

The cowboy builders were sentenced at Swindon Crown Court on April 13 when James Rossiter was slapped with a prison sentence of three years and four months.

His brother faces two years and three months in jail while Smith was sentenced to three years.

Judge Jason Taylor claimed the trio had “mainly targeted elderly people” and “felt no guilt about taking advantage of them.”

Victims of rogue traders should call Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133.