A vulnerable property owner was defrauded of more than £166,000 by Bryan Adams, a builder who misappropriated funds intended for a single-storey side extension. Between June 10, 2023, and December 3, 2024, Adams received payments to complete the project but instead spent a significant portion on his gambling addiction.
According to Bath and North East Somerset Council’s Trading Standards Team, Adams falsely claimed financial difficulties to secure extra payments, including fabrications about a frozen bank account and daily cash withdrawal limits that were never genuinely encountered. He also insisted on receiving cash payments for materials under dubious pretenses.
In one deceitful act, Adams charged for a new boiler installation after the original failed, but a Bosch boiler sticker was merely affixed onto the existing unit to create the illusion of replacement. No new boiler was ever installed.
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A specialist building surveyor later described the annex extension as “quite appalling,” noting the work appeared to have been done by unskilled and incompetent individuals with minimal understanding of basic domestic construction. The structure was deemed unsafe and was subsequently demolished, leaving the homeowner with an uninhabitable property and significant financial loss.
At the time of sentencing, Adams was homeless. He pleaded guilty at Bristol Crown Court on December 19, 2025, to committing business fraud under the Fraud Act 2006. His offenses included accepting large sums of money without completing agreed work, failing to supply paid-for materials, and overcharging grossly for the substandard work performed.
Adams returned to court on April 8, 2026, where he received a custodial sentence of two years and six months. Records show his gambling losses during this period exceeded £60,000.
Councillor Manda Rigby, cabinet member for communications and community at Bath & North East Somerset Council, emphasized the serious harm rogue traders cause and praised the Trading Standards team for their dedication to safeguarding residents and enforcing the law.