Steven Lee Jnr was today (Friday) sentenced to 10 years in prison for frauds committed over a number of years across the North West. This was a joint case taken by Halton, Stockport and Lancashire Trading Standards, and the police.

Lee’s whereabouts is currently unknown, and a warrant is out for his arrest. He was sentenced in his absence, alongside his co-defendant Eli Young, who was present at Preston Crown Court, before His Honour Judge Unsworth KC.

Young was sentenced to four years in jail for his role in the fraud. A Proceeds of Crime case has been timetabled to investigate the finances of Young and Lee.

The case heard how nine victims had been “fleeced” for thousands of pounds by Lee since 2019 for work at their homes. The judge commented that the victims, who were largely elderly and retired, were targeted and persuaded to part with savings that they could not afford to hand over. The work was often not done, substandard or wholly unnecessary.

He remarked that the offences were deliberate, planned, and heartless in their execution. One victim parted with over £118,000 for work on his roof, later valued at less than 10% of that, and needing further costly remedial works.

Lee played the leading role in the offences where the victims were targeted on their vulnerabilities and a common approach was used to sustain the offending. It was carefully planned whereby he would identify a victim, engage with them, and then carry out a criminal plan of action, with him then “fleecing” a large number of victims and continually taking further sums of money.

The harm to each victim was significant, whether financial or otherwise, and his offences were aggravated by numerous convictions for similar offences, and some of these offences were committed while on licence.

The victim in Halton, an elderly resident, who handed over all of his inheritance for unnecessary work, was recovering from surgery at the time, along with a bereavement. He handed over nearly £10,000 to Lee and an expert report found the work to have no value.

The roof had to be completely redone at a further cost of over £10,000. Had the roof been left then eventually it would have collapsed. In addition, extra work was needed to rectify water damage to the interior of the property caused by water pouring through the walls.

It was only after searching for Steven Lee online and coming across a news article where he had been sent to prison before, that he realised he was a victim of Lee, and contacted Trading Standards. Some of the money handed over to Lee has been recouped by Halton Trading Standards after assisting the victim to pursue a claim via his bank.

In a statement read in court the victim commented: “We weren’t in a good place, and he pressured us into having work done which, in hindsight we didn’t need doing. We had no choice but to go ahead with water pouring in through the walls… It has had a real impact on us. It really has affected us both financially and mentally.”

The judge commented that Lee has shown no remorse for his part in the crimes, and that his act of cowardice in not coming before the court and the delay had added to the stress the victims had been through.

Lee was sentenced overall to 10 years imprisonment for eight offences under the Fraud Act, and one aggressive practice under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations. For the offences committed in Halton he was sentenced to four years. He was ordered to spend a minimum of five years imprisonment before he can be considered for release on licence.

Cllr Andrea Wall, Halton Borough Council’s Executive Board portfolio holder for Community Safety, said: “This case is an excellent example of the work our Trading Standards teams are doing, not only here In Halton, but across the North West. It’s great to see efforts being made to join cases up so that the courts can understand the true nature of the crime and the detrimental impact this has on the victims. These criminals operate across local authority borders, and our Trading Standards officers do the same to tackle these awful, organised crimes.

“Sadly, cases such as these highlight the detrimental impact that rogue traders such as Mr Lee have on their victims, not only financially, but psychologically. The impact will no doubt leave a lasting impact for years to come. I support Trading Standards in taking cases such as these to ensure that our residents are protected and can continue to live safely in their own homes.”

A spokesperson for Halton Council Trading Standards said: “This case has been lengthy and complex and has a significant impact on all of the victims involved. I commend the victims for their bravery and tenacity in following the case through to court, and their efforts have paid off, in Lee receiving the maximum sentence permitted under the Fraud Act.

“I only hope that they are now able to have some closure on the matter and begin to move on from the crime they have been a victim to. If you have been the victim of a rogue trader please do not suffer in silence, you are not to blame. Please report it to us via the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133 or dial 999 if traders are still at your property and you feel threatened. Do not hand over any money and do not open the door until you have spoken to the Police or Trading Standards.”

For further information on choosing a reputable trader you can visit Citizens Advice https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/get-more-help/find-a-trader-and-check-you-can-trust-them