A crooked roofer who scammed elderly victims out of tens of thousands of pounds with abysmal and often worthless work has been jailed. Richard Murnane, 42, of Llewelyn Street, Neath, carried out a series of roofing jobs that left properties with significant water damage and victims facing huge remedial bills.
Fraudulent Business Practices
Swansea Crown Court heard that Murnane operated under the company names RM Property and Maintenance and S&R Roofing. He would start by cleaning gutters, then claim to find serious roof issues requiring thousands of pounds of work. Many victims were elderly or otherwise vulnerable.
Lee Reynolds, prosecuting for Neath Port Talbot Council, said Murnane demanded large deposits paid into third-party accounts, provided no receipts or contracts, and inflated quotes after work began. He pestered victims for extra payments, often claiming he needed cash for employees, and occasionally made safety claims to scare them. Scaffolding or skips paid for never arrived.
Impact on Victims
One elderly widow described Murnane as having "the gift of the gab" and said she felt "cornered" into handing over money. The court heard that jobs were dragged out for months, with the defendant disappearing or abandoning work. Experts found "little or no evidence of a basic level of skill or competence" and described the work as "abysmal" and not compliant with building regulations. In many cases, the work was unnecessary or "largely worthless."
Victims suffered water damage and were left anxious, worried, and devastated. The prosecution said the fraud cost around £40,000, though this did not include large restoration bills.
Sentencing
Murnane pleaded guilty to two counts of participating in a fraudulent business. He has six previous convictions for eight offences, including assault, but none for similar matters. His barrister, Ian Ibrahim, cited his guilty pleas and remorse as mitigation.
Judge Huw Rees said Murnane was "consistently and inherently dishonest in a number of ways," causing lasting distress. He described the defendant as "Jack the lad," a garrulous charmer intent on taking innocent people for a ride. Murnane was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison, serving 40% in custody before release on licence.
