Stories

Mon, 29 Jun 2026

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 Rogue builder left our roof leaking and spent £30K we gave him in Lanzarote

Christian Williams benefitted to the tune of £160,000 from offending - but had just £1 to pay back.
A couple, Barry and Shelley Sawkins, lost over £30,000 to a rogue builder who left their new extension unfinished and water pouring into their home. The builder, Christian Williams, 54, was serving a two-year prison sentence for theft and fraud after admitting to scamming four families. In a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing, it was revealed that Williams had benefited from his offending to the tune of £163,051.70 but could only pay back £1 due to his limited assets. Williams had been hired by several victims, including Barry and Shelley, who paid him £44,000 for an extension that was never completed. Another victim, Mark Barber-Riley, paid Williams £44,000 to build a downstairs bedroom for his disabled grandson, but ended up shelling out an extra £20,000 to finish the job without Williams. The Federation of Master Builders had previously removed Williams' company from its website after receiving complaints about delays and incomplete work. However, the FMB has long called for licensing of builders and has expressed support for the TrustMark scheme, which aims to provide redress if work does not meet standards. Barry and Shelley are calling for better regulation to protect people who employ contractors, while another victim, Mark Barber-Riley, described Williams as "shocking" for claiming he had no money to pay his workers.