A rogue joiner who had “little to no intention” of building the sheds and summer houses he fraudulently sold to nearly six dozen people is facing a “lengthy” prison sentence.
Alistair Baxter scammed almost 70 people out of £110,000 after promising building work that he and his company, AB Garden Building Limited, never carried out.
The 36-year-old scammer took thousands of pounds in deposits and followed up by asking for more money to purchase materials and pay for labour.
However, one victim received a message from Baxter saying: “you’re not getting your shed, ha ha ha” and to date less than £7,000 of his ill-gotten gains has been returned.
‘He got me at a low point’
The callous conman even went as far as fleecing a grieving Aberdeen dad he knew had suffered the shocking, sudden and unexpected death of his son.
The 69-year-old man from the Nigg area of Aberdeen lost £1,200 to Baxter after asking him to build a summerhouse in memory of his late mother.
The victim, who asked not to be named, selected Baxter to carry out the work as he lived in the Scots village of California, near the victim’s hometown of Falkirk.
Speaking to The Press and Journal, the victim said: “It made me more confident I wasn’t getting scammed.
“He was on Facebook every day and putting up buildings every day. His prices were really good.
“On December 12 2023 I paid a £100 deposit. On December 27 he said he needed money for the wood so I paid another £650.”
The Nigg resident said he and his wife were on holiday over New Year when they received the devastating news of their son’s death.
“He got me at a low point,” he told The P&J, adding: “He asked to come on January 18 2024 and I said ‘no’ because it was the day before the funeral.
“A month or two after the funeral, he asked if I could pay the joiner, so I made a payment.”
Later, the Aberdeen dad researched Baxter online.
He was alarmed to discover Baxter had swindled other people.
‘Little or no intention of carrying out work’
His victims, nearly 70 of them in total, spanned the length of Scotland, with some aged in their 60s and 70s.
Appearing via live video link at Stirling Sheriff Court, Baxter, a prisoner on remand at HMP Low Moss, pled guilty to being engaged in a fraudulent scheme that victimised them all.
He admitted dishonestly gaining £110,000 from people living in the Aberdeen, Stirling, Falkirk, Glasgow and Dumbarton areas between September 2020 and March 2024.
Sentencing was deferred for background reports on Baxter and his defence lawyer reserved mitigation for when the case calls again.
However, Sheriff Derek Hamilton warned the offender he could “expect a lengthy custodial sentence”.
The sheriff added: “This was a despicable course of behaviour.
“Approaching 70 customers have been defrauded with little or no intention on your part of carrying out work.”
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