Steven Wright, a 51-year-old double-glazing conman from Bramhall, has been ordered to pay back thousands of pounds at a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing. The order follows his conviction for fraud and his arrest in Florida, from where he was deported back to the UK.
Stockport Council's Trading Standards Team began investigating The Cheshire Window Outlet Ltd after receiving complaints that customers had paid deposits for windows and doors that were never supplied or fitted. The investigation found that Steven Wright was running the company despite having twice previously been banned from being a director of a business.
Director bans and company setup
The council's investigation revealed that Steven Wright was already subject to two director disqualification orders for two separate offences – one in 2014 banning him for eight years, and another in 2018 banning him for a further four years. The company was set up just months after the second ban, with Wright using his wife Louise and friend Mark Tibbot as directors, the council said.
The firm left customer Samuel Bardsley out of pocket after he paid thousands for new windows and doors for a farmhouse he and his family were renovating. Mr Bardsley contacted the firm over Facebook to enquire about installing new windows. He paid more than £4,000 – 40 percent of the £11,170 quote – in October 2020, but never received the products or his deposit back.
Trial and convictions
After a trial in their absence held in September, Steven Wright was found guilty of one count of fraud. He was also convicted of two counts of acting in contravention of a disqualification order. Louise Wright was found guilty of two counts of acting in contravention of a disqualification order by assisting her husband to perform a directorial role in the company. The company was convicted of two counts of acting in contravention of a disqualification order.
Steven Wright left the UK following the commission of the offences. His barrister said he had sold his house and travelled to America with his wife and children to pay for treatment for her. He was arrested in Florida on December 9 last year and subsequently deported back to the UK on January 11 this year. He had been at large for two years and nine months.
Arrest and sentencing
Prosecutors at Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court said he was arrested by officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the US federal law enforcement agency. He was stopped while paying for petrol in Florida, before spending time in detention centres. A judge said there was 'insufficient evidence' that his departure from the UK was connected with the court case, noting there were other issues in his life as he passed sentence on him in February this year.
He was sentenced to 15 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, and was ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work and 10 rehabilitation activity requirement days. He was also disqualified from acting as a company director for a further 10 years.
Confiscation order
A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing has now taken place, at which Steven Wright was ordered to pay back thousands of pounds. He was made the subject of a confiscation order, totalling £9,692.33 at the hearing at Minshull Street Crown Court on August 11, Stockport Council said. The court ordered that £5,703.66 of this amount be paid to a victim, the council continued. He was also ordered to pay £7,200 in prosecution costs, which he must pay at a rate of £300 per month they added.
In a statement issued on Tuesday (September 29) about the hearing, Dan Oliver, Cabinet Member for Communities, Culture and Public Protection at Stockport Council, said: "This is an excellent result and I am pleased that, following a successful prosecution, the Council's Trading Standards team has been able to pursue a Proceeds of Crime investigation to recover the financial benefit arising from Mr Wright's offending."
"Protecting residents and taking action against those who seek to defraud consumers remains a priority. We will continue to use all appropriate powers available to us to hold offenders to account and help secure justice for victims."
Louise Wright was not sentenced in February after the court heard she is 'unwell' and remains in the US. Steven Wright's barrister said that 'immigration are aware of her warrant, but have decided she should not be deported.' "His wish is for her to return to the UK, they remain in the UK and he gets himself back on track," he added.
Tibbot, from Wythenshawe, admitted two charges of aiding and abetting a disqualified director to run a limited company in contravention of a director disqualification order. He was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison, suspended for a year, in April 2024.
