Rogue Builder Christian Williams Ordered to Repay £1 for £160,000 Fraud
A builder from Neath, Christian Williams, has been ordered to pay back a token sum of £1, despite having defrauded customers of an estimated £160,000. Williams' fraudulent activities left clients with incomplete and shoddy work, while he diverted their payments for personal expenditure, including holidays abroad.
One victim, Helen Jenkins, detailed how Williams was paid £30,000 to repair her leaking roof. Instead of completing the promised work, Williams used the funds for a trip to Lanzarote. Ms Jenkins reported the continued leaks caused extensive damage, ultimately rendering her home unsellable for a year and costing her an additional £20,000 to rectify.
Williams, operating under the name 'CR Williams Roofing and Building', was initially jailed for 32 months in May 2023 after pleading guilty to fraudulent trading and engaging in unfair commercial practices. His conviction followed a detailed investigation by Neath Port Talbot Council's trading standards department.
During a proceeds of crime hearing at Swansea Crown Court, Judge Paul Thomas KC acknowledged Williams' substantial gains from his criminal enterprise but noted his current lack of assets, leading to the nominal £1 repayment order. This decision highlights the limitations of such orders when offenders have already dissipated their illicit gains.
