Eastenders favourite, Dot Cotton, was played by actress June Brown for over three decades, leaving the show in 2020 shortly before her death at the age of 93. As such a national treasure she was much loved by viewers, but also well-known to many who don’t watch the show. Sadly, her good name was ill-used by a group of home improvement conmen, who duped Ms Brown into advertising their business. There has been no suggestion that Ms Brown was aware of any duplicity.
The group used fake names to hide their identities while claiming to be part of a government energy efficient scheme. They worked across Yorkshire and Derbyshire and it is estimated they conned their victims out of over one million pounds. National Trading Standards said they had left people living “in structurally unstable properties”.
They secured business through misrepresentation and knowingly delivered defected services after persuading their customers to pay substantial deposits.
The group offered home improvement services under the government’s “green deal” initiative to mainly supply and fit windows and doors between April 2017 and August 2019. After using Ms Brown to entice customers, pushy sales techniques were used to secure sales.
The group was convicted of fraud and proceeds of crime offences in relation to the activities of a number of companies set up by their members, which claimed to be specialists with expertise in fitting windows. However, many of the windows were of poor quality, did not fit or were damaged, were installed badly and caused damage to home owners’ walls, leaving gaping spaces between the windows and walls.
The companies used to carry out the work included Pilkington Home Improvement Ltd. The Pilkington name is generally associated with the well-established Pilkington Group Limited, which in 2018 objected to the name used under the Companies Act 2006. The objected was undefended and the name changed.
Zulkernan Mahmood and Rehan Yousaf, both from Bradford, admitted fraudulent trading and participating in fraudulent business. Jonathan O’Grady of Bridlington was found guilty of the same crimes, and David Goody of Bradford admitted taking part in a fraudulent business. They were sentenced at Leeds Crown Court after a Trading Standards investigation and York City Council. another man, Jordan Coalby of Bacup, failed to attend court and an arrest warrant has been issued.
Lord Bichard said: “These men left many people with extensive remedial works required at their homes; some were left living in structurally unstable properties with no viable means of repairing the dmage done due to the financial losses they incurred.