Builder Busted in £1.25 Million Scam
A North East Somerset builder has been slammed with a 14-year jail sentence for tricking 37 customers out of a staggering £1.25 million.
Mark Killick, 49, trading as TD Cole, faced Bristol Crown Court after his massive fraud left dozens facing unfinished projects and financial ruin.
Fake Names, Dodgy Deals
Between 2019 and 2021, Killick played a dangerous game, using aliases like Marc Cole and Mark Jenkins to bag contracts across the region. He pocketed tens of thousands upfront, only to ditch building jobs halfway through.
Judge Macmillan described the victims’ homes as being in a “truly shocking” state and condemned the “serious and ongoing” damage caused by Killick’s scam.
Flashy Watches and Phantom Builds
Despite the chaos left behind, Killick lived large on his dirty cash, even flaunting a £25,000 Rolex watch that he tried to write off as a business expense.
Over 100 complaints poured in to Avon and Somerset Police and Trading Standards during his fraud spree, but it wasn’t enough to stop him – until now.
Criminal Record and Future Ban
This wasn’t Killick’s first ride on the fraud train. With his fourth conviction since 2008, the ex-Neath man continued his con games after moving to Somerset.
The court has hit him with a five-year Serious Crime Prevention Order and banned him from being a company director for 15 years. The ruling forces Killick to stick to one name and likely bars him from any construction work in future.
Killick still denies wrongdoing, blaming his 2021 arrest for leaving jobs unfinished.
Stephen Gledhill, one of the victims, said: “Of course I’m angry, but I just feel sad for him really – that he’s behaved like that without any sign of care.”
