Builder Jailed After Terrifying Renovation Nightmare Leads to Vandalism and Threats

A millionaire couple's dream of renovating a historic cottage into a lavish dream home soured into a two-year nightmare of harassment and vandalism after they dismissed their builder. James Fuller, the builder hired by Christian Magg and Greg Taylor for their 16th-century Grade II listed cottage in Chilham, Kent, allegedly subjected the couple to a terrifying campaign of intimidation after they fired him. Fuller has pleaded guilty to harassment without violence and two counts of criminal damage.

Magg and Taylor, who met 14 years ago, purchased the picturesque timber-framed cottage for £600,000 in 2019. Their ambitious renovation plans included nearly doubling the floor plan, adding a basement and a modern glass extension, and undertaking a meticulous restoration of the original features. The project's budget was estimated to be around £2 million, with plans for a garden designed by a Chelsea gold medal winner and intricate interior details.

Fuller, who had previously completed smaller jobs for the couple, began work in early 2021. However, relations quickly deteriorated due to Fuller's disorganization, delays in ordering materials, and aggressive behavior towards other contractors. Architects working on the project expressed serious doubts about Fuller's ability to complete the renovation, advising Magg and Taylor that they could not finish the project with him in charge. By the time they dismissed him, Fuller had been paid £1.4 million, though a surveyor later estimated the value of his work to be around £500,000.

Following his termination, Fuller allegedly embarked on a campaign of harassment against the couple. This included a death threat letter posted through their door, homophobic graffiti on their garage, and the dumping of an abandoned car spray-painted with their names and demands for payment. Fuller also reportedly confronted the couple aggressively in public, attempted to grab their dog, and crashed his van into their Range Rover. Security footage captured him smashing lead-lined windows with a hammer and, in a culmination of the harassment, climbing onto the cottage roof and throwing tiles onto the ground.

Fuller was arrested after descending from the roof. He pleaded guilty to harassment without violence and two counts of criminal damage, with the estimated damage being between £20,000 and £30,000. However, the victims believe the actual damage caused by Fuller is significantly higher, estimated at £164,000. The sentencing has been adjourned and transferred to Canterbury Crown Court. Fuller is currently on bail, with conditions prohibiting him from entering Chilham village or contacting Magg and Taylor.

Magg and Taylor have since been working to complete the restoration, which has taken approximately five years. While many of the original roof tiles had to be replaced, the couple expressed their love for the village and their decision to make the cottage their forever home, despite the project costing three times the purchase price. The full extent of the damage and the legal proceedings are ongoing.