A SEVEN DAY trial has led to a trader being prosecuted for threatening an elderly customer from Wokingham.

Gary Adams, aged 48, was director of Smarter Coatings Commercial Ltd when a new customer, an elderly resident from Wokingham, asked him to coat the outside of her house.

Wokingham Borough Council said Adams proceeded to carry out spray painting work on the house, when he and the customer had a dispute over his quality of work, and Adams was told not to return.

ALSO READ: Fake Heatherwood Hospital parking attendant steals bank cards

The court heard regardless of this, Adams continued to make attempts to contact the victim, including written letters that the victim said she found intimidating.

The council also said Adams' website had falsely advertised the company as being apart of the Federation of Master Builders, and referred to the 'membership' in a letter to his victim - his membership ceased in January 2018.

Adams, of Margate Road, Ramsgate, Kent, was sentenced at Reading Crown Court on December 20 for making false representations and engaging in aggressive commercial practices. He was ordered to undertake 100 hours unpaid work across 12 months, alongside 25 days rehabilitation and £5,000 prosecution costs. Adams was also ordered to pay £2,127 in compensation to the victim, and was disqualified from being a director of a company for three years.

He was acquitted of one further charge of failing to act with professional diligence with respect to the standard of the work.

ALSO READ: More than a third of free flu jabs missed last year in Bracknell Forest

Councillor Parry Batth, executive member for environment and leisure, and member of the Joint Public Protection Committee said: “Misleading consumers and behaving aggressively towards them is completely unacceptable.

"In the case the victim of this unfair trading was an elderly resident which was one of a number of aggravating factors.

"We hope in bringing this case we send a clear message to others who may be acting or who may be considering acting in a similar manner that we will investigate and if appropriate legal proceedings will be instituted.

"Finally we are pleased that the court ordered compensation to the victim."

The case was investigated by Officers of the Public Protection Partnership (PPP) Trading Standards Response Team and proceedings were brought by Wokingham Borough Council and prosecuted by the PPP Joint Case Management Unit.