A rogue trader who defrauded homeowners out of more than £140,000 by falsely claiming they needed urgent roof repairs has been sentenced to a further three years in prison — bringing his total time behind bars to nine years.

41-year-old Arthur Draper, of no fixed address, appeared at St Albans Crown Court on 23 January, where he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud following a series of cold-calling incidents. He pressured residents — including vulnerable homeowners — into paying for unnecessary, incomplete, or low-quality work.

The new sentence runs consecutively after a previous custodial term of 6 years and 4 months handed down in December 2025 for similar offending — meaning the public will be protected from Draper for the next nine years in total.

In court, the judge did not mince words, saying: "You make money by stealing from old and vulnerable people. It is what you do."

One victim's impact statement revealed the lasting emotional harm caused, with them saying they had become withdrawn and were only recently beginning to rebuild relationships after the ordeal.

Hertfordshire County Council's Trading Standards team led the investigation, with support from National Trading Standards. Ajanta Hilton, the council's Executive Member for Public Health and Community Safety, said the sentence sends a "clear message that this kind of exploitation will not be tolerated".

🔎 Advice for Residents

Council officials and consumer watchdogs are urging local people to:

• Avoid cold callers claiming urgent work is needed.
• Only use traders from trusted schemes like Which? Trusted Traders.
• Get multiple independent quotes before agreeing to home improvements.
• Report suspicious doorstep approaches to Citizens Advice (0808 223 1133) or Action Fraud (0300 123 2040).