One of the biggest fraud prosecutions the Isle of Wight council has ever dealt with will be shown on television screens in the next few months.
Earlier this year, the authority was successful in bringing a case against Simon Regan, the director of Angel Coatings, who was jailed for three years for fraudulent trading.
Regan’s company laid resin drives and pathways, charging customers thousands of pounds for work which was not up to scratch.
Filming for Defenders UK
Following the successful court outcome in March, the Isle of Wight Council’s Trading Standards officers were followed in the summer by cameras for programme, Defenders UK.
It is a BBC One show which highlights the work authorities are doing to protect the public from scam artists and con men.
Offences valued at around £300,000
The trial of Regan lasted nearly five weeks at Southampton Crown Court, and heard evidence from 65 witnesses across the Island, Hampshire and Devon where his companies had committed offences, valued at around £300,000.
Regan’s offending included gross overcharging, works that were poorly or incompetently installed, worthless ten-year guarantees and not returning deposits paid when cancellation rights were exercised.
Threats made to customers
The court was told Regan would make threats to rip up driveways if he did not receive payment in full and threatened customers when civil action was attempted.
He was unanimously found guilty of the offences, sentenced to three years in prison and was told he was not allowed to be a company director for six years.
Defenders UK will air either at the end of the year or early 2024.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may have been made by OnTheWight. Ed
