A heartbroken couple lost more than £30,000 to a rogue builder who left their new extension unfinished, with water pouring into their home — while he spent their money on a holiday in Lanzarote.
Shelley Sawkins, 75, called the tradesman and realised he was in Lanzarote spending money she had given him. The builder, Christian Williams, 54, is currently serving a two-year prison sentence after admitting theft and three counts of fraud by false representation involving four families.
“Rogue builder Christian Williams spent victim's £30,000 on Lanzarote holiday, left roof leaking; jailed two years, must repay only £1.”
In a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing earlier this month, Mold Crown Court heard Williams, trading as Chris Williams Construction, benefitted to £163,051.70 from his offending, but his assets meant he could only pay back £1.
Shelley and her husband Barry, 63, spent £50,000 getting the botched job at their bungalow in Buckley, Flintshire, fixed. About £30,000 went to Williams, and £20,000 to other builders fixing the mess he left. But there are still major problems, including uneven flooring, and they are now desperate to move out of their home and into sheltered accommodation.
"We paid the first instalment. The work started, and then just stopped," Shelley said. "Then we saw he was in Lanzarote on holiday with our money. He would disappear for weeks and then come back with excuse after excuse."
They had hoped work from Williams would make their lives easier, providing a spacious kitchen area. But instead, it ruined their happy lifestyle, Shelley added. The first sign the job was not up to scratch was when one of the walls started to wobble when pushed.
Then one night, after the roof had been worked on, rainwater began pouring into the house. Shelley had been caring for her husband, who has Alzheimer's disease. She said: "I was up in the middle of the night collecting water in buckets while trying to look after my husband. I was in tears. I was constantly in tears. It was a nightmare."
The project had seemed to suddenly stall soon after it began in 2023. After handing Williams the job, they found he rarely attended the site himself, instead sending workers Shelley called "elderly and apparently unqualified to carry out much of the work". Despite the poor quality and apparent lack of progress, Williams kept pressing them for further payments.
It later transpired the suppliers of the extension's bespoke bifold doors were never paid, and they could not hand them over. The couple had no choice but to pay for them again.
Williams had been posting photos on Facebook of holidays and days out at the races, while one of his victims, a dad of three, had to finish his two-storey extension himself.