A rogue builder who defrauded homeowners across Norfolk out of more than £200,000 has been jailed for four years and four months.
After an investigation and prosecution by Norfolk County Council’s Trading Standards team, James Morgan was sentenced after admitting to ten counts of theft relating to incomplete building and home improvement work carried out between 2021 and 2024.
As well as the custodial sentence, confiscation proceedings have begun to recover compensation for victims and cover the council’s investigation costs.
Morgan has been disqualified as a company director for ten years and made subject to an indefinite criminal behaviour order.
Morgan, who operated as a sole trader, working under the name Prestige Home Improvement (East Anglia) Limited, targeted customers across the county with offers of building, home improvement, and maintenance services.
In many cases, he accepted large advance payments for work that was never started or only partially completed. Victims were located in Dereham, Diss, Great Yarmouth, Wymondham, Long Stratton, Norwich, and Horsford.
One couple in Dereham lost £179,996 for an extension that was never built.
Another Dereham resident paid £12,200 for a conservatory installation that was not completed.
A Diss customer paid £7,250 for conservatory work that never began.
A Great Yarmouth couple lost £500 for home improvements that were not started.
In Wymondham, a resident paid £309 for work that did not begin.
In Long Stratton, a customer lost £5,051 for garden and home improvement work
One Norwich resident paid £87.50 for gutter repairs that were never undertaken.
In two separate cases in late 2022, Morgan completed minor gutter cleaning but then demanded advance payments for further roof and painting work that was not carried out.
In January 2023, a Horsford homeowner paid £7,400 for fascia, gutter, and patio door installation work that was never started.
Investigators described Morgan’s conduct as systematic, exploiting the trust of his clients through false promises, aggressive communication, and persistent demands for further payment.
Among the victims was Long Stratton resident Katy Gould, who said she was pressured for money while dealing with a family tragedy. She had arranged garden work costing £6,500 and had already paid more than £5,000 when her father fell critically ill.
When she returned home nearly a week later, there were no building materials and no work had been started, other than a pile of soil left on her drive. She said that in the weeks that followed, Morgan repeatedly called, sent hundreds of WhatsApp messages, and even sat outside her home in his van, creating an intimidating atmosphere.
Ms Gould, a single parent of a child with complex care needs, said she and her neighbour both had to call the police and that she no longer felt safe in her own home. She had hoped to create a safe outdoor space for her daughter but has still not received her money back or seen the work completed more than three years later.
Norfolk County Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Partnerships, Councillor Margaret Dewsbury, said
“Householders should be able to trust that when they hand over money for work, it will be completed. Builders should provide written details of the planned work and payment schedule and should not ask for substantial deposits upfront.
“We would ask residents to check out reviews and recommendations before employing a tradesperson and our Trusted Trader scheme provides peace of mind that a person carrying out work is reputable and reliable.”
the case demonstrated the importance of vigilance when hiring tradespeople.
The council’s Trading Standards team received multiple complaints about Morgan’s business practices and launched an investigation that revealed consistent patterns of deception and non-delivery across several years.
Officers said Morgan took advantage of homeowners’ trust, often using emotional manipulation and false assurances to secure advance payments. A report presented to the court described his actions as deliberately dishonest and said his conduct constituted a sustained course of theft through false representation.
The custodial sentence marks one of the more significant prosecutions for fraud by Norfolk Trading Standards in recent years and follows an increase in reports of rogue traders targeting vulnerable homeowners. The council said it would continue to use all available legal powers to bring offenders to justice and recover losses on behalf of victims wherever possible.
