Rogue trader brothers from near Leighton Buzzard jailed for intimidating elderly victims in Wales

Rogue trading brothers from Billington have been jailed after an investigation found they had intimidated elderly customers in Wales.

Bernard and Martin Mongan, of Slapton Road, were convicted on two counts of engaging in a commercial practice that was aggressive. The Shared Regulatory Services (SRS) investigated the men and found that they had set up a company called Prestige Driveways and Roofs Limited during the March 2020 lockdown.

The Mongans used a false address for the company and based themselves in Newport. The men approached the victims, both in their 80s, and agreed to do work on a driveway and a roof.

The brothers asked for three times the money previously agreed for the work – which was unfinished and done to a poor standard. The victims were met with threats and intimidation after refusing to pay the inflated price.

Judge Jeremy Jenkins, when sentencing the men, said: “The victims, in this case, were cold-called for work which was claimed by the defendants as necessary.”

Judge Jenkins explained: “You raised the price in a deliberate and false three-tier process. When challenged by the victims you bullied them and made them feel intimidated. There was genuine fear felt by the victims.”

Both defendants were sentenced to 12 months in prison for each offence to run at the same time. But after pleading guilty, the brothers’ sentences were discounted and will serve nine months, half of it behind bars. The Mongans need to pay a victim surcharge within three months of leaving custody.

The judge continued: “You have asked for leniency in this case, but you did not think of the effects of your actions in respect of the victims.

“This case has clearly passed the custody threshold. I have taken into consideration your early guilty pleas but have also taken into consideration the age of the victims in this case.”

Cllr Ruba Sivagnanam, from Vale of Glamorgan Council, said: “These victims were specifically targeted because of their age by people who travelled long distances to carry out the offences.

“Such behaviour is completely unacceptable, and I hope this prosecution sends out a message that it will not be tolerated in the Vale.”