A company and a man and woman are to appear in court on a string of fraud and unfair trading charges covering seven alleged victims across Teesside.

Kellie Parker, 40, Craig Parker, 41, and Oval Gardens Ltd are accused of more than 20 offences between them, concerning work at homes in Stockton, Middlesbrough, Wynyard, Billingham and Eston between February 2021 and January 2022. The alleged trading offences include two properties on the same road.

All three defendants face seven charges of fraud and eight under unfair trading regulations in a prosecution by Stockton Council. They are accused of making false representations about VAT and “failing to adequately undertake work” for seven people.

Three charges concern a woman’s Stockton home and alleged misleading, false information about laying porcelain tiles. Two charges relate to a man said to have paid £4,014 for work at his Middlesbrough home, and Kellie Parker is also accused of defrauding him by claiming a £2,800 refund would be returned to him.

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Further charges were brought over a woman who “paid £4,320” for work at her home in Marton, Middlesbrough. A fourth complainant is said to have paid £9,156 for work to her home in Wynyard, another £2,250 for work to her Eston home.

Finally, two complainants are said to have paid £1,872 and £2,367 respectively for work to their homes on the same road in Billingham.

Craig and Kellie Parker face more charges regarding claims that refunds would be paid to three of the complainants. Craig Parker is accused of frauds by claiming that refunds of £940, £2,600 and £1,500 would be returned, while Kellie Parker is accused of engaging in a misleading commercial practice by saying refunds would be given.

Kellie Parker, said to be director of Oval Gardens, faces two more charges, making 21 in total in her case, with 18 for Craig, 15 for the company.

She is accused of fraud by making a false representation “to Companies House that Oval Gardens Ltd had not traded for the preceding three months”, and a charge of “making an application for voluntary striking off” under the Companies Act.

Their case was listed at Teesside Magistrates’ Court for a first hearing on Tuesday morning (December 6), but defendants and defence lawyers did not attend as papers had not been served.

Prosecutor Michele Stowe applied to adjourn the case, saying: “The summons and the paperwork have come back to the council offices. There’s nothing on the envelope to indicate why it’s not been served.”

Craig and Kellie Parker, of Neasham Avenue, Billingham, and Oval Gardens Ltd, which had an address registered with the court as Old Gloucester Street, London, are now scheduled to appear before magistrates on January 24 next year.

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