Conman bathroom fitter defrauded customers out of thousands
A conman has been sentenced after posing as a professional bathroom fitter and defrauding customers out of thousands of pounds to fund a gambling habit.Liam John Harbottle, of Aiskew near Bedale, pleaded with customers for advance payments, saying he was desperate to pay his bills, but failed to complete the work, police said.The 41-year-old, who admitted fraud by false representation and theft, was given a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years, at York Crown Court on Thursday.He was also ordered to repay his victims a total of £19,231 and carry out 180 hours of unpaid work.
A North Yorkshire Police investigation found that Harbottle's requests for advance payments coincided with spikes in his gambling debts.The court was told that he used aliases and changed the name of his business to evade bad reviews.
'Kindness exploited'
In one case, an 85-year-old woman paid Harbottle £2,500 to refurbish her bathroom. He gave six dates on which he would start the work, but never turned up nor contacted the victim again.Another customer paid more than £7,500 for multiple refurbishments in his hotel which were left unfinished or sub-standard. He also pre-purchased bathroom fittings worth more than £5,000 that Harbottle stole and sold on eBay. The victim suffered from lost revenue of about £20,000 as a result.A third victim paid £3,700 for a bathroom that was left damaged and never completed.
Investigating officer PC Emily Blackwell said: "Thanks to our financial investigators, we were able to evidence that Harbottle would dishonestly obtain money from the victims, only to fund his gambling activities. "The kindness of the victims was completely exploited as he received additional payments by manipulating those generous enough to believe him."Not only have they suffered financially but they have also suffered psychological distress, losing trust in people and, in some cases, the worry has affected their physical health."
Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
17 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Pro-Palestine protesters 'break into Brize Norton and damage two military planes with red paint' in huge security breach
Pro-Palestine protesters have claimed responsibility for breaking into RAF Brize Norton and damaging two military planes in a shocking breach of security. Palestine Action said two of its activists infiltrated Britain's largest RAF base and sprayed red paint into the engines of two Airbus Voyager aircraft before escaping without being caught. Shocking footage shared by the group this morning shows protesters storming across the RAF runway in Oxfordshire on electric scooters. The bodycam footage then shows them spraying red paint into the turbine engines of the air-to-air refuelling tankers which the RAF say are 'vital for enhancing the operational reach and flexibility of Britain's military air power'. Palestine Action claim to have used repurposed fire extinguishers to spray the paint, while they say they caused further damage with crowbars. The activists said they sprayed red paint across the runway and left a Palestine flag behind before fleeing the base undetected. The alleged protest will raise huge questions over security at the RAF base at a time when the world is teetering on the brink with war raging in the Middle East and state threats from both Russia and Iran. Brize Norton is the largest RAF base in the country with approximately 5,800 service members, 300 civilian staff and 1,200 contractors. Voyagers, described as a 'petrol station in the sky', can carry up to 109 tonnes of fuel and are used to refuel fighter and compatible heavy aircraft. RAF Brize Norton hold a core fleet of nine voyagers, while five others are available for commercial use but can be recalled for military purposes. The RAF is reportedly planning to send Voyager aircraft to the Middle East as the conflict between Israel and Iran escalates. One of the Voyagers, which has a Union Jack on its tail, has previously been used to transport prime ministers and Royal Family members to engagements abroad. A Palestine Action spokesperson said: 'Despite publicly condemning the Israeli government, Britain continues to send military cargo, fly spy planes over Gaza and refuel US/Israeli fighter jets. 'Britain isn't just complicit, it's an active participant in the Gaza genocide and war crimes across the Middle East. 'By decommissioning two military planes, Palestine Action have directly intervened in the genocide and prevented crimes against the Palestinian people.'
BBC News
24 minutes ago
- BBC News
Dundee trials for Magennis & McDermott
Dundee have taken former Kilmarnock, Hibs and St Mirren player Kyle Magennis, 26, and fellow midfielder Tommy McDermott on trial. (The Courier, external - subscription required)Read the rest of Friday's Scottish gossip.
BBC News
29 minutes ago
- BBC News
Cornish dead fish incident leads to no swim warning
An investigation has been launched after dead fish were found in a Cornish Environment Agency (EA) said it received reports at about 17:45 BST on Thursday of the incident in St Austell River, known locally as the "White River".The EA has warned people not to swim at the nearby Pentewan designated bathing water area as a result of the incident, with a message on its website saying it involved pollution.A post on X from EA's South West team said the cause of the incident had not yet been established.
