Conman builder Kevin Sherwood duped couple into paying £7,000 for roof repairs

9:06am Friday 4th January 2013 in News By Arron Hendy

CONNED: Alan Read and Margaret Williamson were conned by Kevin Sherwood. Picture: Jon Beal CONNED: Alan Read and Margaret Williamson were conned by Kevin Sherwood. Picture: Jon Beal

AN ELDERLY couple were “duped” into handing £7,000 to a conman who needlessly replaced their roof.

Alan Read said he “feels like a fool” after letting Kevin Sherwood of Wimborne Road, Bournemouth, drive him to the bank to pay for the extra work to be done when he only called him out to fix his chimney.

Sherwood tricked the 85-year-old into having the new roof and Sherwood has now been jailed for a year for fraud.

Alan and his partner Margaret, 82 have not been awarded any compensation and still have the roof that was fitted at their home in Merley, near Wimborne.

Alan said: “I feel such a fool and an idiot really. I got sucked in, it was the biggest mistake of my life.”

The pensioner contacted Sherwood’s company Kinson Roofing and was happy with the price he was given for re-pointing the chimney and clearing off moss.

“The next thing I knew the tiles were coming off and he said he was going to clean them and put them back on and I thought ‘that’s crazy’,” Alan said.

Alan, a retired carpenter, said when Sherwood told him the roof had to be replaced he felt like he had to pay as the roof had been taken off. “He wouldn’t take a cheque,” he said.

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“He wanted cash and the roof was off so I suppose I panicked and I felt I had to get him to finish the job. I felt backed into a corner.”

Alan said Sherwood was friendly and called him “Al” and drove him to get cash five times, waiting in the car while he went into Santander in Broadstone and Merley Post Office.

The grandfather said he hopes Sherwood “changes his ways” so more people do not get conned.

Margaret, a retired teacher who worked at Cranborne Middle School, added: “I was disgusted that we’d been taken in, it was awful.”

And her son Paul Williamson, who called the police after returning from holiday, said: “Alan was at the point of a nervous breakdown and couldn’t see a way out of it.”

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Comments(29)

suzigirl says...
9:45am Fri 4 Jan 13

Should have jailed him for longer! Let's hope he is treated well in prison!

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Linguist says...
10:10am Fri 4 Jan 13

"Alan and his partner Margaret, 82 have not been awarded any compensation and still have the roof that was fitted at their home in Merley, near Wimborne."

They're hardly likely to have thrown the roof away now, are they?

As said above - he should have been jailed for longer.

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summerchild says...
10:12am Fri 4 Jan 13

I get really angry with this sort of thing, jailing the scum who prey on the elderly really isn't enough they should be made to give all the money back and pay compensation for the upset caused. Of course it will never happen but one can dream.

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HRH of Boscombe says...
10:51am Fri 4 Jan 13

summerchild wrote:
I get really angry with this sort of thing, jailing the scum who prey on the elderly really isn't enough they should be made to give all the money back and pay compensation for the upset caused. Of course it will never happen but one can dream.
His so called company should be liquidated to cover all the compensation.

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JamesBond0070 says...
12:37pm Fri 4 Jan 13

Besides the jail sentence, the couple should have also received the difference between the original estimate and the final bill as damages, because from what I read of the story, the need for extra expenditure and the reason why, was not given before the roof was stripped off, thus denying them the opportunity to make a decision on their own property.

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madras says...
12:45pm Fri 4 Jan 13

JamesBond0070 wrote:
Besides the jail sentence, the couple should have also received the difference between the original estimate and the final bill as damages, because from what I read of the story, the need for extra expenditure and the reason why, was not given before the roof was stripped off, thus denying them the opportunity to make a decision on their own property.
Not an expert, but assume the 'refund' would be a civil law matter - but given the builder has been found guilty I would assume a relatively simple case? Have a word with a solicitor...

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Don@TAS22 says...
12:53pm Fri 4 Jan 13

He is not a limited company and is therefore operating as a sole trader and therefore his personal assets (home, car, etc) are assets that can be used by the courts to be sold to pay these people their rightful compensation. Get a solicitor now.

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The Renegade Master says...
12:57pm Fri 4 Jan 13

Whatever assets that filthy maggot Kevin Sherwood has should be seized, sold and used to repay everyone he conned.
Preying on the vulnerable is a disgusting crime and one that deserved far more than a year in jail, which will no doubt be reduced to half that knowing our inept justice system.

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i park in disabled bays says...
2:28pm Fri 4 Jan 13

his sons arent much better

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jasoninmadrid says...
2:41pm Fri 4 Jan 13

A few years back his sons got done for the same thing!

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oneshortleg says...
5:37pm Fri 4 Jan 13

Can we have a picture of him please so we can show others to be wary of him, also what is it with "fraud" you get a lot less sentance, if he had stolen the money it would have been much longer.

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O'Reilly says...
5:53pm Fri 4 Jan 13

suzigirl wrote:
Should have jailed him for longer! Let's hope he is treated well in prison!
He will be don't worry. They are all of the same fraternity in there.

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O'Reilly says...
5:59pm Fri 4 Jan 13

Is the 'Fiddler On The Roof' of News of The World fame still operating in these parts? Probably too old to climb a ladder and pull a few slates out......5k to you sir....always SIR!

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jen.e.p says...
6:04pm Fri 4 Jan 13

O'Reilly wrote:
Is the 'Fiddler On The Roof' of News of The World fame still operating in these parts? Probably too old to climb a ladder and pull a few slates out......5k to you sir....always SIR!
yes he is!!!

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jen.e.p says...
6:07pm Fri 4 Jan 13

A year is a joke he and his sons have been doing this for years!!! they got a minor slap on the wrists a few months ago, the sentences handed out are no deterrent whatsoever.

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brackenmisty says...
7:25pm Fri 4 Jan 13

I live near to Alan and Margaret, they are a lovely couple and I am very angry they have been conned in this way, had I known what was happening I would have done something, however I think most of us would think that the work was being carried out with their consent, unfortuntely, like many people we do not like to pry into other people's business, he should have got 12 years not 12 months, in 6 months time he will be doing it again!!!

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High Treason says...
7:43pm Fri 4 Jan 13

oneshortleg wrote:
Can we have a picture of him please so we can show others to be wary of him, also what is it with "fraud" you get a lot less sentance, if he had stolen the money it would have been much longer.
It is here.

http://bit.ly/X5JD25

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pete woodley says...
8:26pm Fri 4 Jan 13

HRH of Boscombe wrote:
summerchild wrote:
I get really angry with this sort of thing, jailing the scum who prey on the elderly really isn't enough they should be made to give all the money back and pay compensation for the upset caused. Of course it will never happen but one can dream.
His so called company should be liquidated to cover all the compensation.
Full agree he got off light,he has done this before,and he will do it again,he still shows a big profit.

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fossilmole says...
9:17pm Fri 4 Jan 13

This a-sole should be locked up for such time as it takes him to give back the money he robbed from these (and probably other) folks.

If he hasn't got the dosh ...sell his car, his house, his watch, his wardrobe of clothes, his cat, his dog ....whatever; but he should not benefit from the proceeds of his low-life dealings.

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gameon says...
9:40pm Fri 4 Jan 13

He will be out in 6 mths or less carrying on where he left off meanwhile his sons and associates are at it full time. so he had £7K not bad for 6 mths holiday down to her majesty thats without the nice other little earners he had preying on other good folk while he was conning this elderly couple whats the betting he doesnt pay his taxes or anything come to that. surely the authorities must investigate and get some sort of criminal compensation for his Victims

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pete woodley says...
10:06pm Fri 4 Jan 13

The police do there job,its the magistrates who let us down.

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whataboutthat says...
11:23pm Fri 4 Jan 13

OK - to just about every poster above. Here's a pretty low-life roofer scamming older types out of their dosh. Yes, he's a chancer, he's dirt, yeah you can think about sentences etc, magistrates letting you down. Look at HSBC - that's the big bank in your High Street - fined 1.5 BILLION quid ( not a 7 grand roof job there!) for LAUNDERING drug money. You couldn't make this up. That's a High Street bank laundering money from BIG time drug dealers and you lot think this is worht 57 and counting comments. Jesus - I will get out more.

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JudgeMe says...
10:45am Sat 5 Jan 13

Someone should make sure the TAX OFFICE investigate his so called company, then he might get a proper prison sentence.

COWARDS CON OLD PEOPLE, YOU CAN BET HIS CHUMS WILL JUSTIFY ROBBING OLD PEOPLE, INSTEAD OF HAVING NOTHING TO DO WITH HIM

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victor meldrew 17 says...
12:42pm Sat 5 Jan 13

This guy has been lucky so far,in his choice of victims,there are many people in this area that would be VERY angry if their friends or relatives had been conned in this way. Prison would be the least of his worries,he is fortunate not to be needing a prison cell that is wheelchair accessible..

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stevobath says...
1:06pm Sat 5 Jan 13

The Renegade Master wrote:
Whatever assets that filthy maggot Kevin Sherwood has should be seized, sold and used to repay everyone he conned.
Preying on the vulnerable is a disgusting crime and one that deserved far more than a year in jail, which will no doubt be reduced to half that knowing our inept justice system.
If it were drug dealer hed have assets taken.This should be no different..The same goes for MPs who blatantly flout the rules on expenses.No paying them back & alls forgotten..They should be automatically imprisoned & made to forfeit their seat & banned from sitting as MP again.

Same for all the immoral banking fraternity who seem to get away with crimes.Theres no justice really & even less social justice.

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stevobath says...
1:12pm Sat 5 Jan 13

victor meldrew 17 wrote:
This guy has been lucky so far,in his choice of victims,there are many people in this area that would be VERY angry if their friends or relatives had been conned in this way. Prison would be the least of his worries,he is fortunate not to be needing a prison cell that is wheelchair accessible..
Dont think the Sherwoods would care.

They're a well known family.I dont think theyd be too bothered or worried about getting 'rough justice' as you imply...best way to hurt them is to take their cars & assets.

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stevobath says...
7:24pm Sat 5 Jan 13

PIKEYS!

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Big Benny says...
6:26pm Sun 6 Jan 13

Kevin Sherwood has at last been found out to be the low life he really is,not only does he earn his living from stealing from the eldery and vunerable he has also trained he sons to behave in the same way.He uses a work force of convicted like minded criminals to assist him in his dispicable deeds.I hope the inland revenueand customs and exise get hold of him and bang him up for years! Everything he owns that has been aquired by theft {fraud},it should be confiscated and sold to compensate his victims! £25,000.00 for roofing work!!! What does he use gold instead of lead.Hang your head in shame Sherwood!

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pete woodley says...
7:54pm Sun 6 Jan 13

He and his sons need hounding out and so do the friends who conspire with him and neighbours who condone him.

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