A builder has been sentenced to six years in prison for carrying out dangerous building work and defrauding homeowners out of over £547,000. Lee Slocombe, 33, pleaded guilty to participating in a fraudulent business between March 2021 and May 2023, affecting nine victims across Cardiff, Bridgend, and Swansea.
Cardiff Crown Court heard that Slocombe operated under the alias Lee Lewis to conceal previous convictions. In two instances, he employed an unqualified gas engineer, leaving properties in a "potentially lethal state." In addition to the prison sentence, Slocombe is banned from carrying out building, maintenance, or gardening work in the UK for life under a Criminal Behaviour Order. He is also disqualified from being a company director until 2031.
This is not the first time Slocombe has faced legal repercussions for fraudulent activities. He was previously jailed in 2015 for 43 months for three fraud offenses. In 2023, he received a sentence of five years and five months for defrauding seven families of £150,000. Notably, the recent offenses were committed while Slocombe was on Crown Court bail.
The total cost for victims to rectify Slocombe's shoddy work, in addition to the money lost to fraud, amounts to over £547,000. Victims have described being exploited, with one couple reportedly left "scarred for life." The power imbalance between homeowners and builders was highlighted, with calls for better protections and accountability. One victim expressed that there needs to be stronger safeguards in place for those undertaking home renovations.