Richard Stubbs (55), of High End View, Endon, has been found guilty of seven charges of fraud, three charges of fraudulent trading, and two charges of attempting to prevent the court of justice.
This followed a six-week trial held at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court and a five-year investigation carried out by Staffordshire City Council’s trading standards service.
The former police officer was found guilty of selling kitchens and bathrooms to customers and abandoning the job before completion.
The court heard that one customer paid over £100,000 for unfinished work. Many of the reported cases involved vulnerable customers.
Stubbs was the director and shareholder of two separate businesses – Idesign Kitchens & Bathrooms Ltd., based in Leek, and Peak Kitchens & Bathrooms Ltd.
The court also heard that Stubbs regularly took money from customer deposits to fund his excessive lifestyle. This money was reportedly spent on holidays and sporting events.
Stubbs’ defence argued that the rogue trader had been the victim of a social media hate campaign, which prevented him from finishing jobs.
Carl Egerton (54), of Cheddleton, had completed some work on Stubbs’ behalf. Egerton was also found guilty of one charge of fraud.
Stubbs will receive a jail sentence at a later date while Egerton will likely receive a suspended sentence.
Experienced writer and journalist James McKean leads the daily editorial output at StaffsLive. To contact him, email news@staffslive.co.uk
