Dodgy Theale builder jailed for a year

A Theale builder has been jailed for a year for supplying false electrical and building control certificates.

Christopher John Arnold, 39, a trader of Alderfield Close, pleaded guilty to unfair trading and forgery charges.

Mr Arnold and his company, ACL Building and Maintenace Ltd, were sentenced at Reading Crown Court, having pleaded guilty to charges relating to building work undertaken by the company and its director at four residential properties.

The investigation started following a complaint by a Newbury resident to the Public Protection Partnership’s Trading Standards investigations team.

Further to this complaint, three more complaints were received by Trading Standards and the investigation uncovered that none of the work undertaken by the defendant at the four properties was completed.

Two jobs were abandoned in the middle of the builds, while the remaining properties still had work outstanding when the defendant left the job.

Significant sums of money were taken from the complainants, who had paid for the build in full or almost in full.

All four properties will require significant remedial works to be undertaken.

The complainants have incurred losses in the region of £125,000 to £160,000.

Mr Arnold had previous convictions from 2021, when three victims were left with live cables in the walls of their properties.

The recent offences represent a continuation of poor building work which contravened the requirements of professional diligence, the PPP said.

Mr Arnold was sentenced at Reading Crown Court to a 12-month custodial sentence to be served immediately, and he was also subjected to a directors’ disqualification order for 10 years.

Compensation, costs, financial penalties and the victim surcharge will be decided upon at the conclusion of confiscation proceedings, as would the financial penalty for ACL Building and Maintenace.