How prolific cowboy builder kept up cons despite criminal past

How prolific cowboy builder kept up cons despite criminal past

Mark Killick, a notorious figure in the British construction industry, has a long history of criminal activities dating back to 1995. With four fraud convictions since 2008, his latest crimes involved defrauding 37 victims of over £1.25m. Despite serving time in prison, Killick managed to change his name twice and continue working as a builder in the West of England, where he continued to deceive customers.

During his latest trial, the prosecution stated that Killick never intended to complete the work he was hired for but instead lied to customers to extract money from them. Many victims failed to uncover his criminal past as they found no red flags when researching him, only coming across positive reviews and a professional website. This case has reignited calls for more stringent regulations to protect consumers from convicted fraudsters operating in the building trade.

Mark Killick’s history of fraud highlights the lack of restrictions on fraudsters changing their names, making it easier for them to evade detection and carry out their deceptive schemes. Jonathan Gilbert, a criminology lecturer with firsthand experience of financial crime, emphasized the need for a central register of convicted fraudsters to aid the public in identifying rogue traders. The lack of regulation in the construction industry, where builders are not required to be licensed, has led to concerns about the prevalence of cowboy builders and the economic impact of consumer mistrust in the sector

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