A self-employed landscape gardener from Epsom who trades under the name Greenfingers Gardening has pleaded guilty to 12 counts of fraud and money laundering. Benjamin Brown, 62, of 29 Cox Lane, Epsom pleaded guilty at Guildford Crown Court last week to eight counts of Fraud Act offences and four of money-laundering, following a joint prosecution between Surrey County Council and Sutton Trading Standards with Surrey County Council acting as lead prosecutor.

Mr Brown, whose business includes paving and fencing, obtained business by advertising in local newspapers across Surrey and by putting flyers through letterboxes using the trading names Greenfingers and Homecare Property Maintenance. After being approached by elderly people to undertake work in their gardens, he would charge exorbitant prices for work that was frequently not required or requested, with any requests to stop met with threats, verbal abuse and aggression. Sutton Trading Standards prosecuted Mr Brown on two counts of fraud by failing to disclose information under the Fraud Act 2006.

In the first case, in February 2013 a retired woman saw Mr Brown’s newspaper advertisement and telephoned him to contract him to carry out some landscape gardening. She was not given a Notice of Cancellation at the time of agreeing the contract and he began work on a small garden area at the rear of the property. Mr Brown charged £12,000 – later reduced to £11,000 – for work done that he had originally verbally quoted would cost between £4,000 and £6,000.

In the second case Mr Brown was telephoned by an elderly woman to carry out some fence repairs in her garden, again after seeing his advertisement in the local newspaper. While she had no complaint about the quality of his work, she was charged £10,500 for a relatively short run of fence and a gate.

When the fence was completed Mr Brown proceeded to lift the garden patio slabs despite the pensioner’s requests for him to stop. When she felt she had no alternative but to agree for the path to be re-laid, Mr Brown charged her a further £1,500 to do so.

A Proceeds of Crime Act investigation will now take place against Mr Brown to identify whether he has benefited financially from his crimes. Sentencing has been adjourned until 14 August to allow time for probation and medical reports to be prepared.

Cllr Nick Emmerson, Lead Councillor of Trading Standards at Sutton Council, said:

“We want to congratulate Sutton’s Trading Standards team whose work over a considerable period of time has finally stopped this landscape gardener from grossly overcharging for his work and intimidating people. Sutton residents should always consider looking on the Safer Sutton Trader Scheme List on our website when they are considering employing a tradesperson. This list has been vetted by Trading Standards and offers a range of bona fide tradespeople. Residents should always get several quotes before agreeing to employ a tradesperson and remember that they should expect to receive a cancellation notice from the trader and have the opportunity to cancel a contract within 14 days if it is made at home.”

Anyone needing consumer advice and thinking they may be a victim of a rogue trader should call the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0345 404 0506.