Victims rally to help jail fraudulent tradesman

A group of victims have rallied together to help catch a fraudulent tradesman in Kent.

Window shutter installer Lewis Blake, from Whitstable, took deposits totalling £64,774 from 89 different victims, but spent the money on himself.

One of his victims, Neil Sherwood, said he and dozens of other victims used social media to share their experiences and subsequently reported him to the police.

Blake has been jailed for 18 months after pleading guilty to fraud by false representation.

His offending took place between August 2020 and May 2021.

The victims told police he was polite and well-presented, and that they paid him half the cost of the shutters as a deposit in advance, the force said.

However, Blake never returned to carry out the work, citing excuses including the impact of the pandemic, shipping delays in the Suez Canal and items stuck in China.

Mr Sherwood, who paid a £1,000 deposit, said he took to social media to seek other victims after realising it was a scam.

"There was an avalanche of people contacting me. Probably about 70 people, all with similar stories," he said.

"Young couples with babies, the elderly, people who had disabilities – he didn't care. He took their money."

Mr Sherwood added: "I'm so careful. But it just shows that it can happen to absolutely anybody."

At Canterbury Crown Court, Blake, who spent the cash on gambling and pornography, was sentenced to 18 months Imprisonment.

Det Con Beth Brimmicombe-Wood said: "They [the victims] all reported that it felt very violating to them, that they allowed this person that they had come to trust into their home."

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