A man has told how he lost thousands of pounds of inheritance money to a rogue gardener.
Erik Dahl, 56, paid George Knowles £7,500 as a deposit for his company Gorgeous Gardens to carry out work.
However, the work was never completed and Erik and his wife Kathryn, 59, of Westhill, were left out of pocket.
Today Erik spoke out after Knowles, who admitted 23 charges of fraud previously, taking money as deposits for work that was never completed and often never started, was warned by Sheriff Andrew Miller at Aberdeen Sheriff Court that he could face jail.
Sheriff Miller deferred sentence on Knowles, of Parkneuk, Gamrie, until next month for reports into support available for Knowles’ family should he be imprisoned.
The total amount of money Knowles, 32, fraudulently obtained was £84,810 from different customers between August 2016 and February 2017.
Erik said: “I had received money from my inheritance from my parents. That enabled us to get the garden done. My inheritance was basically taken away by someone that clearly didn’t have any intention of doing the work.
“We knew for quite a time that was what we wanted to do with the money, that would give us something that would help us and remind me about my dad.
“The work started in early August 2016 and for a while it went really well, up until we went on holiday.
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“When we got back from holiday it was time to start putting in some of the stone slabs. They got one delivery of that then it stopped.”
He added: “I would like to see a custodial sentence. I think what he’s done he’s done with total disregard for whatever damage or harm he did to his customers.
“I definitely hope it will be at least two years.”
During the court hearing defence agent Gregor Kelly said his client had been declared bankrupt and there was “no realistic prospect” money could be paid back.
He said Knowles had been staying in a caravan and had not used the money to fund a lavish lifestyle.
He said: “He was taking money not with a view carrying out the work on that particular property but to buy materials to catch up with previous work.”
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