A North East trader has been sentenced and handed an order to pay thousands of pounds in compensation after failing to complete landscaping work.

Jordan Tierney, formerly of Pert Road, Hartlepool, plead guilty to 13 counts of fraud and one consumer protection offence at Teesside Magistrates Court following an investigation by Hartlepool Borough Council’s Trading Standards Team.

He has been given a 9 month suspended jail term after taking large cash deposits from victims for work, where he would then "never return or did very little work."

Tierney took over £13,000 from ten victims between June and August 2021, and had pocketed £2,000 in advance from one customer, before never returning.

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Trading as Hartlepool Groundworks Services Limited, he visited his victim’s homes to provide quotes before telling them that they needed to pay large deposits ‘up front’ to buy the materials or to secure start dates.

Speaking on the fraud, Ian Harrison, Hartlepool Borough Council's Trading Standards and Licensing Manager, was pleased with the verdict.

He said: “Tierney’s offending has sadly left a large number of the town’s residents out of pocket. Hopefully this prosecution can help provide an end to the matter.

“We would like to thank those victims who assisted with our investigation as without them, behaviour like that of Jordan Tierney can go unpunished.

"Hartlepool Trading Standards will not hesitate to take enforcement action against rogue traders who flout the law.

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“Following incidents like these, I would urge residents who are thinking about getting home improvement work done to always obtain three quotes before making an informed decision and never pay a trader until the job is complete and satisfactory.” 

Meanwhile, Tierney was ordered to pay £2,695 in investigation costs and a £156 victim surcharge. His suspended sentence will last for two years.

If you need advice about unfinished or unsatisfactory work, advice is available from the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 11 33.