Council prosecution sees rogue builders handed prison sentences

Brothers Jamie and Sean Casey were served custodial sentences when they appeared at Aylesbury Crown Court on Wednesday 10 September 2025, having pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing. Jamie Casey was sentenced to 18 months in prison and Sean Casey received a 10-month prison sentence.

The brothers’ crimes included carrying out a catalogue of unnecessary works, charging inflated prices, using inferior materials and either leaving works incomplete or to such a poor standard of workmanship that the homeowners were left with further serious problems they had to pay other workers to fix. Jamie Casey was also accused of using aggressive and threatening behaviour in seeking payment and asking for payment to be made directly to a personal account rather than into a business account.

The defendants approached the first homeowner in Chesham in November 2023. Jamie Casey cold-called the property claiming there were issues with the chimney. Using paperwork in the name of First Class Builders and Decorators Limited, a quote for £12,000, was issued. Sean Casey was listed as the director of the company at the time, however subsequent investigations revealed that the company was dissolved only a day later.

Despite asking for work not to start straightaway, builders turned up at the property within days. Payment was requested over subsequent weeks which far exceeded the original amount quoted and additional works were started which were not agreed by the homeowner.

On one occasion when the homeowner grew weary and questioned the costs, Jamie Casey followed him upstairs and threatened to remove materials so the roof would leak if payment wasn’t made.

The alarm was finally raised by bank staff who spoke to the homeowner when he was in the process of withdrawing further funds to pay the builders and the police were contacted.

In total the homeowner paid a total of £20,400 to the bank account in the name of First Class Builders and Decorators Limited. He also had to pay a further £9,000 for another trader to complete the works to his property.

The second homeowners, from Farnham Common, were also cold-called by the defendants in November 2023. When they told Jamie Casey that the porch had leaked, Casey immediately started removing tiles and said his company, First Class Builders and Decorators Limited, could carry out the works needed for £3,000. Despite the lack of contract, the homeowners felt pressured to agree to the works when, without warning, scaffolding was erected outside the following day.

Over subsequent days, Jamie Casey listed a wide range of additional works, quoting verbal figures for costs.

Overnight on 26 November 2023 the homeowners experienced significant flooding in the bathroom below one of the flat roofs that was being repaired. When Jamie Casey was questioned on the matter, he simply shrugged it off. Although subsequent repairs were made to the roof, the internal damage to the bathroom was not addressed and the Caseys offered no recompense.

In a similar manner to the first homeowner, Jamie Casey had no qualms about entering the house uninvited to discuss payment which the homeowner said made him feel harassed and pressured.

Eventually the son of the homeowner intervened and when no satisfactory paperwork was produced, the family spoke to the police and contacted trading standards.

In total, over a 10-day period in November 2023, the homeowners had made payments totalling £37,200.

An independent expert who analysed the work carried out at the second property described the quality as ‘abysmal’. His report concluded: “What would appear to be a very typical small repair has escalated inexplicably for no apparent reason with extensive works being undertaken abysmally and poorly executed for, I believe, no other reason than to charge extortionate amounts of money for very questionable and unnecessary work.”

In sentencing, Judge Keeley drew attention to the fact that the defendants persistently targeted vulnerable, older people, harassing, pressurising and pestering them into parting with large sums of money for often unnecessary works. He said they had caused the homeowners ‘real distress, anguish, and great upset’, in addition to financial loss. He described their actions as ‘despicable’.

Mark Winn is Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing & Regulatory Services. He said: “This is a fantastic result. Thanks to the hard work of our trading standards team in investigating and gathering the evidence to bring these cases to court, these two despicable criminals who preyed on older vulnerable residents in our county are now behind bars and unable to con anyone else.”

To avoid being duped by a rogue builder it is always advisable to get a number of written quotes for any work you are planning. Ask trusted friends and family for recommendations and get a detailed written contract with the builder you choose. Always check references by contacting previous clients and verify the builder's credentials and trade association memberships. Be cautious of suspiciously low prices, requests for cash up front, or builders who knock on your door soliciting work. Never feel pressured to accept work and if in doubt, contact Buckinghamshire & Surrey Trading Standards.