AN “INCOMPETENT” builder has been ordered to carry out unpaid work after he overcharged a doctor by at least £700 for repairing his roof.

David Smith, of Simpson Way, Kennington, admitted knowingly or recklessly engaging in commercial practice in October 2012.

Timothy Boswell, prosecuting, said that the 50-year-old told his neighbour Dr Simon Hibble he would carry out repair work to his roof for £300.

The barrister said the complainant agreed for the work to be done, but after it started Smith found other problems and increased the price to £1,900.

Mr Boswell said Dr Hibble, who had recently lost his job and was under severe stress, felt he did not have a choice and reluctantly agreed to pay £1,700.

The barrister said: “All the work was necessary, and had it been done properly that would have been a fair price to pay.

“But the quality of the work was so poor that it is put [by an expert] as having virtually no value whatsoever.”

Mr Boswell said Smith was then “evasive” about how the price was reached and eventually Dr Hibble made contact with trading standards.

The prosecutor added that as a result of the stress caused by the situation, Smith’s victim ended up having a nervous breakdown.

Terence Woods, defending, said an expert instructed on behalf of his client had come to a different conclusion about how much the work was worth, valuing it at £915.15.

He said: “This is a far cry from the cases where a householder is cold-called by a stranger who uses high pressure tactics to gain entry.

“This is a matter that could almost have been dealt with in the small claims court.”

Judge Patrick Eccles agreed that this was not a case of a “cunning rogue” trying to trick someone into overpaying. He told Smith: “In a case like this the builder is simply incompetent and is doing work he is not fit to do.”

Judge Eccles sentenced him to a community order with 200 hours of unpaid work and told him to pay £1,300 compensation and £1,000 costs.

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