A north-east construction worker has been fined for giving out false information about his business.
Calum Turpie falsely claimed on his website that his company had an address on York Place in Aberdeen and that it was a member of the Guild of Builders and Contractors between November 2016 and February 2017.
The incidents came to light after two men complained about the standard of work carried out at their homes.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard that it was impossible to lodge a civil court action against Turpie because his address was not correct.
Turpie went on trial yesterday accused of defrauding the two homeowners out of almost £6,000.
He was accused of performing substandard work at the properties in Fraserburgh and Inverbervie between July and October 2015.
Giving evidence yesterday, Alex Hunter, said Turpie arrived at his Bridgefield House home in Inverbervie with two colleagues that summer.
Mr Hunter claimed the material being used required a dry surface for the work to be carried out but Turpie proceeded during a period of “torrential rain.”
The homeowner said he was satisfied that there was no leak after the work was completed.
Fiscal depute Cheryl Clark then asked him: “Did it stay that way?”
He replied: “No.”
He claimed that on November 9 that year a gap emerged in the roof.
Mr Hunter said he had problems communicating with Turpie and contacted Trading Standards.
Turpie, 27, was also accused of carrying out “grossly negligent” work on a roof at a property near Fraserburgh owned by Steven Bell at a later date in 2015, inducing Steven Bell to pay £3,956.
However, the two fraud charges were dropped by the Crown during the trial yesterday.
Sheriff Sukhwinder Gill fined Turpie, of Cadenhead Place in Aberdeen, £1,600 for the two false information charges.
Mr Bell said he was “annoyed” that the offence relating to his home had been dropped following the hearing.
He is now considering pursuing a civil case.
He said he lodged the complaint after his roof blew off the back of his property.
He said: “I’m annoyed I suppose because nothing has really happened.
“I’m not happy as it is a lot of money. It’s not really the money, it’s the hassle.
“Usually I do everything myself and this is the first time I’ve only got somebody in to do a job. It has kind of backfired.”
