Proceeds of crime hearing expected in case of Abingdon rogue builder

Nathan Kingsbury was jailed for four years last September for a string of botched building jobs in the Oxfordshire town.

The builder’s work was so bad that his customers had to spend thousands making good the damage. One couple raided their children’s savings to make for repairs.

READ MORE: JAILED: 4 years for 'rogue builder' who left customers thousands of pounds out of pocket

Oxfordshire County Council, which prosecuted Kingsbury, has launched proceeds of crime proceedings against him in an effort to get him to repay some of the profits from his dodgy dealing.

At a hearing at Oxford Crown Court on Wednesday, Judge Michael Gledhill QC heard that no agreement had been reached on the figures for the ‘benefit’ – the amount Kingsbury made from his crimes – and the ‘available amount’ or the cash and assets that could be confiscated.

The builder’s barrister, Sian Barber, told the court that a forensic accountant had been instructed and would provide a report by May 11.

Judge Gledhill adjourned the case until June 24, when it will be confirmed whether a judge will need to determine at a contested hearing exactly how much Kingsbury must re-pay after listening to evidence from both sides.

Last year, Oxford Crown Court heard that one of the defendant’s victims was suffering from terminal cancer when she paid him more than £1,000 to fit a new door. The door was never fitted and, after her death the pensioner’s son spent months chasing Kingsbury to do the work. He later found out it would cost just £22 to fit a new lock and door.

Another family, who had agreed to pay him £87,000 for renovations on the condition he undertook no other projects, had to endure months of living in their bedrooms as the works overran around them.

Image of one botched building project by Nathan Kingsbury Picture: OCC

The building work was later found to be of poor quality, while traders and suppliers were not paid. Kingsbury, of Haines Court, Abingdon, ignored his contractual obligation not to work on other projects. 

That victim, Lorna Spurgeon, said: “It has taken three years of our time, loss of income, and all our savings to rebuild the house from the devastation he left behind. The emotional impact on our young children, and ourselves, is still being felt today.” 

Jailing him for four years and banning him from being a company director for five years, Judge Nigel Daly said: “You are a fraudster. The effect on the victims in a case such as this has got to be taken into [consideration].  

“It causes not only financial loss but considerable stress, anxiety, upset and frustration to victims and you have heard something about that in these victim impact statements.”  

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