“Extremely predatory” Port Talbot trader sentenced to 6 months imprisonment

A former Port Talbot based trader who carried out poor repair work, has been described by a District Judge as, “extremely predatory”, at a trial at Swansea Magistrates’ Court, after an investigation by Neath Port Talbot Trading Standards.

Whilst carrying out building work at another property, 27-year-old Mr Gage Goodhew,  formerly of Hopkin Street, Port Talbot, and now  of Royston Road, Swindon, was approached by an 84-year-old vulnerable consumer in the Velindre area of Port Talbot and asked to repair a shed roof.

Goodhew surveyed the job and verbally quoted £1300, this to include the price for materials and tools. The consumer withdrew the cash from his bank and handed it to Goodhew. Later, Goodhew, and another workman, began repairing the shed.

A few days after starting the job, Goodhew then said he could clear the rubbish from the consumer’s shed for another £1200, which the consumer paid in cash.

After the work on the shed roof was done, the consumer was given a piece of cardboard with “£2500” on it as a receipt with a false name and address. Therefore, the consumer had no means of contacting Goodhew.

Both Goodhew and his workman began to measure up the window in the consumer’s shed, but were told that the consumer could not afford any more work and they left.

The workmen never came back to clear the rubbish, and Trading Standards were contacted.

On June 4^th, 2019, at Swansea Magistrates’ Court, the Court heard from the consumer, and quantity surveyor, Tim Davies – who attended Court as an expert witness for Trading Standards. Mr Davies described the work as, “patently substandard”, and advised that the work was of, “no pecuniary value”. Furthermore, to fix the shed, a new builder would have to, “strip all the work, then redo it in its entirety”, illustrated by the photographs taken from his report.

Gage Goodhew failed to attend Court in the morning of June 4^th  and subsequently, was tried in his absence and found guilty by District Judge Parsons of offences under Section 1 & 2 of the Fraud act 2006; Regulation 19(1) of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation, & Additional Charges) Regulations 2013; Regulations  8, 9, & 13 of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008); and Regulation 28 of the Company Limited Liability partnership & Business (Names & Trading Disclosures) Regulations 2015.

In the afternoon of the same day, however, he appeared at Court for sentencing.

In his sentencing remarks, District Judge Parsons described the victim as “a particularly vulnerable pensioner”, and, “more so than someone of his age would normally be”.

Accepting that the victim had approached Goodhew, Judge Parsons added that the trader had seen the victim as a, “golden goose”, and, “squeezed as much out of him as he could”, in return for, “extremely shabby work”.

In mitigation, Goodhew said he had no intention of “ripping the consumer off” and had given him a five year verbal warranty, but had not heard from him.

The District Judge sentenced Goodhew to a total of six months imprisonment  and ordered him to pay a victim impact surcharge of £115 once he had left prison.

Cllr Leanne Jones, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Public Protection for Neath Port Talbot Council said: “Mr Goodhew saw an opportunity to exploit a vulnerable pensioner in ill health, preying on the victim and showing no remorse for the distress he had caused.”

“Rogue traders such as Gage Goodhew do not see the obligations they have to their customers, only seeing them as a means to financial gain.”

“Trading Standards take a hard line on investigating businesses that flout the law and target the vulnerable”

“The service is promoting a national trading standards run trader approval scheme called ‘Buy With Confidence’.

“Legitimate and responsible traders are encouraged to make enquiries with the department to join the scheme. Consumers should check the “Buy with Confidence” website for approved traders”.

Gage Goodhew

Disgrifiwyd cyn-fasnachwr o Bort Talbot, a wnaeth gwaith adfer gwael, fel person “hynod reibus” gan Farnwr Rhanbarth yn ystod achos yn Llys Ynadon Abertawe’n dilyn archwiliad gan Safonau Masnach Castell-nedd Port Talbot.

Roedd Mr Gage Goodhew, 27 oed, a arferai fyw yn Stryd Hopkin, Port Talbot ac sy’n byw yn Royston Road, Swindon, erbyn hyn yn cwblhau gwaith adeiladu mewn ardal arall pan gofynnodd cwsmer diamddiffyn 84 oed iddo atgyweirio to sied yn ardal Felindre, Port Talbot.

Cynhaliodd Goodhew arolwg o’r swydd a gosododd ddyfynbris o £1,300 ar lafar, a oedd yn cynnwys y pris am y deunyddiau a’r offer. Tynnodd y cwsmer arian o’r banc a’i roi i Goodhew. Yn ddiweddarach, dechreuodd Goodhew a gweithiwr arall atgyweirio’r sied.

Ychydig ddiwrnodau ar ôl dechrau’r gwaith, dywedodd Goodhew y gallai gael gwared ar y gwastraff yn sied y cwsmer am swm ychwanegol o £1,200, a thalodd y cwsmer ag arian parod.

Ar ôl gorffen y gwaith ar do’r sied, rhoddwyd darn o gardford i’r cwsmer â “£2,500” wedi’i ysgrifennu arno fel derbynneb a rhoddwyd enw a chyfeiriad ffug iddo. O ganlyniad, nid oedd gan y cwsmer unrhyw ffordd o gysylltu â Goodhew.

Daeth Goodhew a’i weithiwr i fesur y ffenestr yn sied y cwsmer, ond dywedodd y cwsmer na allai fforddio i dalu am fwy o waith ac aethant i ffwrdd.

Ni ddychwelodd y gweithiwyr i gael gwared ar y sbwriel a chysylltwyd â’r Safonau Masnach.

Ar 4 Mehefin 2019 yn Llys Ynadon Abertawe, clywodd y llys gan y cwsmer a syrfëwr meintiau, Tim Davies, a ddaeth i’r llys fel tyst arbenigol ar gyfer y Safonau Masnach. Dywedodd Mr Davies fod y gwaith “yn amlwg o safon isel”, a dywedodd nad oedd y gwaith “yn werth yr arian o gwbl”. Yn ogystal, byddai angen i adeiladwr arall “ailwneud y gwaith yn gyfan gwbl” er mwyn trwsio’r sied, a dangoswyd hyn mewn ffotograffau yn ei adroddiad.

Ni ddaeth Gage Goodhew i’r llys ar fore 4 Mehefin, felly fe’i rhoddwyd ar brawf yn ei absenoldeb ac fe’i dyfarnwyd yn euog gan y Barnwr Rhanbarth Parsons o droseddau o dan Adran 1 a 2 Deddf Twyll 2006; Rheoliad 19(1) Rheoliadau Contractau Defnyddwyr (Gwybodaeth, Canslo a Thaliadau Ychwanegol) 2013; Rheoliadau 8, 9 a 13 Rheoliadau Diogelu Defnyddwyr rhag Masnachu Annheg 2008; a Rheoliad 28 Rheoliadau Cwmnïau, Partneriaethau Atebolrwydd Cyfyngedig a Busnesau (Enwau a Datgeliadau Masnachu) 2015.

Fodd bynnag, ar y prynhawn hwnnw, ymddangosodd yn y llys i gael ei ddedfrydu.

Yn ei sylwadau dedfrydu, disgrifiodd y Barnwr Rhanbarth Parsons y dioddefwr fel “pensiynwr arbennig o ddiamddiffyn” a’i fod yn “fwy diamddiffyn nag y byddai person arall o’r un oedran fel arfer”.

Gan dderbyn bod y dioddefwr wedi mynd at Goodhew, dywedodd y Barnwr Parsons fod y masnachwr wedi ystyried y dioddefwr fel “ffynhonnell arian” a “manteisiodd arno gymaint ag y gallai” i dalu am “waith hynod ddi-raen”.

Mewn datganiad lliniarol, dywedodd Goodhew nad oedd wedi bwriadu twyllo’r cwsmer a rhoddodd warant pum mlynedd ar lafar iddo, ond nid oedd wedi clywed ganddo.

Dedfrydwyd Goodhew i gyfanswm o chwe mis yn y carchar gan y Barnwr Rhanbarth a gorchmynnwyd iddo dalu gordal dioddefwyr gwerth £115 pan fydd yn gadael y carchar.

Meddai’r Cyng. Leanne Jones, Aelod Cabinet Cyngor Castell-nedd Port Talbot dros Ddiogelwch Cymunedol a Diogelu’r Cyhoedd, “Gwelodd Mr Goodhew gyfle i fanteisio ar bensiynwr diamddiffyn a sâl trwy dargedu’r dioddefwr heb ddangos unrhyw edifeirwch am y trallod a achoswyd.”

“Nid yw masnachwyr twyllodrus megis Gage Goodhew yn gweld bod dyletswydd arnynt i’w cwsmeriaid; maent yn eu hystyried fel ffordd o ennill arian yn unig.”

“Mae Safonau Masnach yn gadarn pan fyddant yn archwilio busnesau sy’n diystyru’r gyfraith ac yn targedu pobl ddiamddiffyn.”

“Mae’r gwasanaeth yn hyrwyddo cynllun cymeradwyo masnachwyr a gynhelir gan safonau masnach cenedlaethol a elwir ‘Buy With Confidence’.

“Anogir masnachwyr dilys a chyfrifol i ymholi â’r adran er mwyn ymuno â’r cynllun. Dylai cwsmeriaid wirio fod masnachwyr wedi’u cymeradwyo ar wefan ‘Buy With Confidence’.”