A judge has given him an ‘undeserved’ last chance
A Stockwood rogue trader has narrowly avoided jail after stealing more than £5k from his victims(Image: PA)
A rogue trader who continued to defraud his victims in defiance of a court order has been spared jail. Lewis Thomas, 35, from Stockwood, repeatedly took upfront payments and deposits from customers across the South West for loft ladder installations which he never completed.
Thomas operated under more than 27 different business names while he carried out his fraudulent activities. He stole from victims in Bristol, Bath, Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, and Wales of more than £5,000, causing emotional distress as he did so.
At Bristol Crown Court on July 10, Judge Martin Picton sentenced Thomas to 16 months in prison. However, the sentence was suspended for a year due to Thomas being the sole carer for his young child.
Judge Picton told Thomas to repay the money he owed his victims within 28 days and said his second chance was undeserved. “You don’t deserve this chance – you are getting it due to your kid,” he said. “Pay it. No ifs, buts or maybes.”
Thomas originally received a deferred sentence for his fraudulent behaviour in February 2024, when a judge first ordered him to repay £5,020 to his victims. Thomas also received a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) which prohibited him from taking down payments from customers.
Despite this, he continued to collect deposits and upfront payments from customers in clear breach of his CBO. At least three further victims made complaints to Bristol City Council ’s Trading Standards team, which landed Thomas back in front of a judge.
While being sentenced for his fraud and for breaching his CBO, Thomas was also ordered to complete 180 hours of unpaid work. At the sentencing hearing, Mr Thomas was able to prove that he had enough money to repay his victims in full. The court also extended the CBO by a further five years.
Councillor Stephen Williams, Chair of Bristol City Council’s Public Health and Communities committee, said: “This successful prosecution sends out a clear signal that we won’t tolerate rogue traders and scammers and we’ll do everything we can to stop them.
“Our Trading Standards Team have worked hard to investigate this case, and we’re pleased that the money paid by his victims will be returned. The additional breaches showed an ongoing disregard for the court order and the protections put in place for consumers.
“Rogue traders can cause emotional distress to their victims and families, and we use our enforcement powers to target serious offending of this nature.”
Consumers who have been the victims of rogue traders can report their actions via the Citizens Advice website.
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