A ‘rogue trader’ who scammed vulnerable homeowners out of hundreds of thousands of pounds has been sentenced to prison. Hughie Smith, 49, from Fernlands Close, was sentenced at Hove Crown Court on Friday, 3 March, after he pleaded guilty to a number of fraud offences. Smith’s conviction was the result of joint working between Surrey and Sussex police forces, as well as Trading Standards.
Smith targeted an elderly couple in Knaphill in 2015, offering to fix a brick wall in their front garden. However, he soon intimidated the couple into having more work done around their property that they did not need, charging them exorbitant amounts of money for poor quality work. Smith’s fraud spiralled out of control and the couple ended up losing £180,000. Smith continued to scam his victims with follow-up calls, which led to their son becoming suspicious and calling the police. Further investigation revealed that Smith was at the head of a large-scale ‘rogue trader’ style fraud operating across Surrey and Sussex.
