A ROGUE plumber used the bogus name “Lee King” while scamming customers out of thousands of pounds with botched jobs.
Damon Owens used a string of fake names to avoid being caught out over previous convictions for tricking punters.
The 34-year-old also lied to a judge and claimed he was shot in the head while serving as a Royal Marine in Bosnia – when he was actually whacked with a golf club in Barry.
Owens also tried worming his way out of a jail sentence by claiming he was the sole carer of a young child, who would have ended up in care if was caged.
But Judge Michael Fitton QC exposed his web of lies and today jailed him for ten months at Cardiff Crown Court after he admitted 13 charges of undertaking a deceptive practice.
The judge said: “This was a sophisticated pattern of offending involving care and forethought.
“I am not going to suspend the prison sentence. That is the impact of the lie you told on the last occasion.”
The court heard Owens set up one plumbing businesses called UK Emergency Plumber and another under the false name Lee King.
He then swindled customers out of thousands of pounds leaving their homes in ruins after he carried out shoddy work.
On one occasion, he demanded almost £34,000 to build an extension for the Hulland family – but left the job halfway through after being paid a £16,875 deposit.
The family were left with a huge hole in their garden and had to employ other contractors to finish their refurbishments.
He also charged pensioner Marion Nevison £240 to fix a simple leak in her living room – but failed to supply her with the proper paperwork.
A probe was launched by Trading Standards, who discovered he had been posting phoney reviews on websites supposedly from satisfied customers.
Owens was discharged from the Royal Welsh after just over a year for medical reasons and didn’t see any action.
He will now have to pay £12,500 in compensation and £10,000 in costs – but the court heard he had “no means”.
