A businessman accused of cheating pensioners out of thousands of pounds is being investigated by a trade watchdog after complaints about his new firm.
Stephen Hughes, from Glasgow, went on trial for 63 charges of dishonesty and trading standards offences in 2018 but walked free after a Crown Office bungle saw the case fall apart.
Now, his latest venture, 1A Contracts, is being probed over claims of failing to complete work and refund customers’ cash, as well as giving “misleading information” and “poor workmanship”.
Trading Standards Scotland said it had received “several complaints” about the firm, director Hughes and his staff, while customers said they had been forced to take legal action.
Hughes featured in our sister paper the Sunday Mail’s consumer page, The Judge, in 2014 after dozens of customers reported losing cash to Green Deal Rewards, which promised new central heating boilers under a government scheme.
Then in 2018, Hughes went on trial at Inverness Sheriff Court accused of dozens of offences linked to another Glasgow-based firm, Celsius Energy Solutions, which left alleged victims in the Highlands, Moray, Aberdeenshire, Badenoch and Orkney.
Before the trial collapsed, witnesses said about £30,000 of deposits had been paid but no goods were received.
They also accused Hughes of misleading them about the availability of Government grants, which turned out to be loans.
Hughes had faced more than 80 charges but a sheriff ruled only five charges of failing to inform customers of their cancellation rights should be put to the jury.
Fiscal depute Roderick Urquhart withdrew the remaining charges as they would never be put to a jury if they stood alone. Hughes’ new firm, which has been up and running for a year, advertises as “Scotland’s best builder” and specialises in boilers, renewables and solar panels, roofing, windows and extensions.
Trading Standards Scotland (TSS) this week confirmed it is investigating the company. A statement said: “TSS is currently investigating home improvement company 1A Contracts (Bath Street, Glasgow) due to several complaints received about the company and its director and staff.
“Allegations include poor workmanship, failure to commence or complete work, failure to provide refunds when requested and the provision of misleading information.”
A spokesperson for 1A said: "At the end of the trial the judge ruled that all charges should be dropped due to there being no case to answer, other than five consumer protection charges based on cancellation rights. The Fiscal then decided that these charges were not serious enough to merit prosecution."
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