Driveway firm bosses facing jail for £50,000 rogue trading offences

Jonathan Jones and Rebecca Dack of JBS Driveways Ltd, charged customers across Teesside, including in Hartlepool, tens of thousands of pounds for work that was not properly carried out.

They each pleaded guilty at Teesside Crown Court to numerous charges relating to the Billingham business.

A judge agreed to adjourn the case to put their home affairs in order, but warned them prison was likely.

Jones, 33, a director of the firm, pleaded guilty to 23 counts of recklessly engaging in a commercial practice contravening the requirements of professional diligence, by failing to undertake building work for which customers had been charged or received a quote for.

The value of the works involved came to just over £51,000.

Dack, also 33, admitted eight of the charges worth £32,560 on her part.

Jones also pleaded guilty to five counts of fraud by false representation, one offence of acquiring criminal property, namely cash and cheques, between August 31, 2014 and July 16 last year, and one count of transferring criminal property.

Dack, of Anlaby Close, Billingham, also admitted two counts of engaging in a misleading commercial practice, including telling a customer a contract could not be terminated within the cancellation period.

Jones, of Hazel Slade, Eaglescliffe, denied four allegations of the offence as well as one count of engaging in aggressive commercial practice.

Prosecutor Richard Bennett, for Stockton Borough Council, said the pleas entered were acceptable.

Judge Sean Morris told them: “I will grant an adjournment for a pre-sentence report but understand this, as far as I can see custody is inevitable, so you have some time to put your affairs in order.”

They are due to be sentenced in three to four weeks time.