Ten of the worst crimes committed by prolific cowboy trader Adam Priestley as he turned homes into 'building sites'

A court was told of ten of the most serious fraud offences committed by a cowboy builder who left a trail of destruction as he conned homeowners out of almost £500,000.
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Adam Priestley was jailed for five and a half years over a deception in which 58 victims, mainly in Leeds and West Yorkshire, were ripped off by the callous conman.The court heard how the 40-year-old crook would take large payments for building work which were either never started or never completed.

Priestley caused 'untold misery' and destroyed lives by his crimes which were committed to fund his addiction to booze and cocaine.

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Judge Ray Singh told Priestley his offending was so prolific it would have taken two days in court to outline the details of the suffering caused to all 58 victims.

Cowboy builder was jailed for five and a half years for fraud.Cowboy builder was jailed for five and a half years for fraud.
Cowboy builder was jailed for five and a half years for fraud.

Opening the case, prosecutor Fiona Clancy described the scale of suffering endured by ten victims.

They were:

Court 1

Priestley contacted a woman who wanted a quote for a new roof and replacement windows.

He claimed she needed a new roof due to 'nail fatigue'.

The victim paid a £2,600 deposit in October 16, 2019, but Priestley failed to carry out the work.

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The woman contacted him to complain but he told her he had a "viral chest complaint".

He went to her home the following month and said the work on the roof could not be done as the timbers were rotten.

The victim paid a further £3,247 but then noticed that slates were going missing from the roof.

She filmed workmen loading the slates onto a van and driving off with them.

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The victim complained to Priestley that her family had been put in danger as they had no roof during the winter but he 'played dumb'.

Ms Clancy said: "She realised that she had been ripped off. Water was streaming into her children's bedroom."

Count 2

In August 2019 a female victim agreed a price of £16,983 to have her roof retiled and paid a deposit of £3,000 plus £750 for an inspection.

The victim later discovered that the cost of an inspection was actually £74.

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Priestley arranged for all the tiles to be stripped from the roof. He said he would sell them and give her the money but never did.

The victim was left with damp on her bedroom ceiling and windows were broken.

Priestley promised to the return to the house in June 2020 but failed to do so.

He said the damage to the property would be covered by insurance but it wasn't.

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The victim had to take antidepressants due to the stress and no longer feels able to trust anyone.

The judge told Priestley: "The mere mention of your name frightens her."

Count 3

Priestley spoke to a couple who wanted a refurbishment of the downstairs rooms of their home.

He gave a fake customer reference and was paid a deposit of £4,000.

Priestley failed to show up for work the next day.

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He sent a text stating: "I'm in hospital mate. Pulled my hand. Sorry, will be there tomorrow."

The crook then claimed he had an infection in his hand.

Further excuses included him claiming he had an accident in his van and that he was isolating with Covid-19.

Work eventually commenced. It was due to last three weeks but stopped after four days.

The house was left 'open to the elements' and 'looked like a building site' as there was no roof above the kitchen.

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The victims had to live in a utility room for three months and were left without a toilet or washing facilities.

After more complaints, Priestley texted: "Can't help being ill."

Count 4

Priestley quoted a woman £27,000 for a two-storey extension to her home then increased the amount to £53,000.

A deposit was handed over in cash.

The victim emptied her home ready for the work to take place but Priestley failed to show up.

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He then claimed he could not do the work because no skips had been delivered.

When he eventually started work he dismantled the kitchen but then started "coughing and sneezing" and left.

Priestley asked for a further £6,700 to pay subcontractors.

She drove to meet the defendant at the Britannia Hotel near Leeds Bradford Airport.

During the meeting he smelled of alcohol and was slurring his words.

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On another occasion at her home he appeared drunk and was aggressive towards her.

The woman challenged him after seeing a video on Facebook relating to an allegation of fraud against him.

He denied any knowledge of it. Priestley promised to ring the victim to "resolve the situation" but failed to contact her again.

Count 5

Priestley conned a woman out of £34,187 over a house she was holding in trust for her children.

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Inheritance money was being used to pay for a refurbishment.

During the deception the woman was told that the roof timbers had gone rotten.

No work was done on the property despite cash being transferred on three occasions.

The woman contacted the suppliers Priestley had given her the name of but the firm had never heard of the defendant.

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When Priestley eventually started work he stripped out the central heating without asking for permission.

He then gave excuses for not attending which included a relative dying, being at the dentist and going on holiday.

Count 6

The victims were a husband and wife aged 79 and 75 respectively.

The couple agreed to pay for work on their bungalow.

Work on the property initially went well until subcontractors complained they had not been paid and stopped working.

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Priestley told the couple he could not finish the roof and boarded it up.

Leaks then left the inside of the property 'like a swimming pool'.

The elderly couple were left having to get washed in the kitchen sink as they were unable to use the bathroom.

Priestley's rang the victims in tears.

He said he had split up with his girlfriend and "couldn't cope."

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It was later revealed that £8,000 they paid him for a new kitchen had never been ordered.

Count 7

The victim agreed a price of £72,000 for an extension and paid a deposit of £32,000.

Priestley completed around £15,000 worth of work on the house but then "actively avoided" the victim.

He failed to turn up to three meetings which they arranged.

The victim eventually had to pay other tradesmen to finish the work.

Count 8

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Priestley promised his victim he could "re-scale" a kitchen refurbishment to save him money.

A deposit of £8,500 was paid upfront but hardly any work was carried out.

The victim was unable to contact Priestley and was left without a working kitchen, only a sink and a cooker.

Live wires were left exposed, floor boards were removed and not replaced and damage was caused to cables.

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The home belonged to a doctor whose work in the middle of the pandemic was disrupted by the scam.

Count 9

The victim was quoted £17,500 for an extension and new kitchen.

Foundations were dug in the garden, the old kitchen was ripped out and an internal wall was removed but no further work was done.

Count 10.

Priestley pressured the owner of a listed building in Roundhay to have work done on the property.

The homeowner was "bombarded" with requests for money.

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He paid a deposit of £7,000 and was then asked to pay a further £4,000 for scaffolding costs.

The tiles were stripped from the roof and it was replaced with tarpaulin.

Priestley then said he was unable to work as his grandmother had died and he needed time off.

He sent the victim a video of an old woman in hospital who was suffering from dementia.

The inside of the property was damaged when rain began to pour through the roof.

The victim had to climb onto the roof in the dark to try to stop the leak.