Hartlepool builder charged couple £46,000 for shoddy building work on home

Jamie Thompson pleaded guilty to two offences when he appeared before Teesside Crown Court.

Thomson, 44, of the The Green, Elwick, Hartlepool, denied a related charge of falsely telling Kelvin and Julie Briggs he would apply for building consent.

The charges relate to a large extension the family wanted to have built on their house in Mainsforth Terrace, Billingham.

Thompson pleaded guilty to engaging in a reckless commercial practice by failing to adequately undertake and complete building works, and the failure was likely to distort the economic behaviour of a consumer.

He pleaded guilty to a charge of fraud by falsely representing to Julie Briggs that work on the house in Mainsforth Terrace would be completed by November 7, 2017.

Thomson denied being a trader engaged in a misleading action by falsely telling Julie Briggs he would apply for and obtain building regulations approval for extension work at Mainsforth Terrace.

All of the offences are alleged to have happened between April and November, 2017.

Joanne Kidd, prosecuting on behalf of Stockton Borough Council Trading Standards department, told the court the trial for the offence denied by Thompson will take approximately three days.

Paul Cleasby, defending, said Thompson accepts some of the building work was sub-standard, but he does not accept he told the Briggs he would get building regulations approval.

Judge Howard Crowson set a trial date of December 17.

Thompson was released on unconditional bail