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Cowboy builder tore my home apart and disappeared off the face of the earth with £14k

Cowboy builder tore my home apart and disappeared off the face of the earth with £14k

Summary

Lee Slocombe, a builder from Swansea, was jailed for six years after cheating nine people out of £400,000 by doing poor and dangerous building work. The UK government plans to create a database of trusted tradespeople to protect customers from dishonest builders.

Key Facts

  • Lee Slocombe defrauded nine victims of a total of £400,000 over 11 years.
  • He was jailed for six years in February 2026 for dangerous building work in Cardiff, Bridgend, and Swansea.
  • Slocombe used fake names and unqualified workers to avoid detection.
  • His fraud caused victims to spend more than £547,000 fixing the damage.
  • Slocombe was banned from doing any building or gardening work in the UK for life.
  • In August 2026, the UK government announced plans for a voluntary database of trusted builders to help protect homeowners.
  • Victims criticized the power imbalance between homeowners and dishonest builders.
  • Slocombe had previous convictions and prison sentences for fraud starting from 2015.
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