Gary Potticary was sentenced on 24 March, at Gloucester Crown Court, in a case taken by Herefordshire Council’s Trading Standards Service.
He was given a six month suspended prison sentence and ordered to pay £10,000 in fines, costs and compensation to his victims in Bromyard and Swindon, Wiltshire.
Potticary, aged 64, formerly of Pye Lane, Swindon and latterly living in Malaga, Spain, was also disqualified from being a director for a period of four years.
Potticary had been found guilty of seven charges under the Consumer Protection From Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.
As a salesman targeting elderly residents he had deceived a vulnerable 81 year old in Bromyard into having unnecessary spray foam loft insulation installed at excessive cost in 2016.
That was while working for a company called GER (Southern) Ltd, run by Martin Hancox, who had previously been prosecuted by Herefordshire Council.
Potticary, director and salesman for Spectrum Energy Guard, then returned to the same victim’s home in 2019 to con him into having a waterproof wall coating under the ruse that without it, his cavity wall insulation would become soaking wet and cause damp in the home. He also pleaded guilty to failing to give the consumer his full 14 day cooling off period.
Later in 2019 the elderly victim in Wiltshire was deceived by Potticary’s company into having wholly unnecessary waterproof roof coating work done.
Marc Willimont, Herefordshire Council’s head of public protection, said:“This is an excellent result for the Trading Standards teams at both Herefordshire Council and Wiltshire Council. We have managed to bring to justice a repeat offender, who not only ripped off vulnerable people in their own homes, but returned to the scene of the crime to target them again.
“We urge local residents to avoid becoming a rogue trader victim simply by not engaging with any cold callers, whether on the telephone or at the door.”
Anyone concerned about the activity of a doorstep seller is urged to contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133or visit the Herefordshire Council webpage for more consumer advice.
