A TRADESMAN who admitted fraud charges intends to sell a horse and van to raise the money he must pay back to a "vulnerable" homeowner.
George John Gentle - the director of First Trust Paving and Asphalt Limited - was warned at Belfast Crown Court that he has a year to pay back the money he de-frauded or he will go to jail.
Gentle (36), from Lurgan in Co Armagh, appeared at the crown court yesterday on charges including fraud by false representation.
The father-of-six from Ulster Avenue in the town was handed an 18-month sentence, which was suspended for three years, by Judge Donna McColgan QC.
Describing the offending as "mean", the judge also issued a £10,000 Compensation Order.
When she was told by defence barrister Michael Ward that Gentle intended to sell a horse and van to help raise the money, Judge McColgan said he had 12 months to pay or he would go to prison.
Gentle admitted making a invoice on November 12, 2019 for £31,300 for work carried out at a property in south Belfast when the true value of the work was no more than £10,000.
This offending included overcharging for building work done at the property over a four-month period.
Gentle then called back to the property a number of times. On one occasion he asked the homeowner to give him £7,000 to pay VAT, and during another visit he asked for a cheque for £6,500, claiming he had undercharged for previous work he had done.
When Gentle's actions were reported to police, an investigation was launched and he was arrested in April 2020.
He initially told police the homeowner 'kept insisting' he carried out more and more work, and tried to justify his behaviour.
Branding the homeowner as "vulernable", Judge McColgan said Gentle's offending was both pre-meditated and mean.
