Gang of rogue traders jailed for swindling pensioner £36k and leaving his garden in a terrible mess

A gang of rogue traders who swindled a pensioner out of £36,000 and left his garden in a terrible mess has been jailed. Scott Cochrane, 35, Daniel Coker, 39, Aaron Frigot, 27, and Penny Jayne Barney, 57, were sentenced for their roles in the scheme. Coker was sentenced to six years and seven months in prison, Cochrane to three years and seven months, while Barney and Frigot received 12-month suspended sentences.

The four cold-called at the victim's home in November 2022 and offered to trim his hedges. The victim said a man described as “Dan” approached him at the door and charged him £1,600 for the initial work. They returned on subsequent days, using misleading and aggressive tactics to pressure the victim to pay for more work. They first claimed a number of trees on his land were diseased and needed felling. The group then proceeded to cut down five mature trees, reduced the height of a sycamore from about 60 feet to 15 feet, and halved the height of a conifer to 30 feet. The gang left about 70% of the cuttings and debris behind, and the garden was left in a terrible mess.

The victim later made a series of cash and cheque payments totaling £36,600. Dorset Council's Trading Standards Department examined the case and instructed a local tree expert to assess the work. The expert found the legitimate value of the work carried out was £3,500—more than ten times less than the amount charged. While some trees appeared to be suffering from fungal infection, none seemed to require urgent attention on safety grounds. A Trading Standards financial investigator traced the cheques through multiple bank accounts and identified Cochrane and Coker as the principal offenders. The pair were later positively identified by the victim in an identity parade.

The investigation also found the money was laundered through third-party accounts. Frigot banked a £25,000 cheque from the victim and transferred most of the funds to Coker and Cochrane via a woman named Penny Barney. A Trading Standards spokesperson described the “layering” of funds as a hallmark of money laundering designed to conceal criminal property.

In a victim impact statement read to Bournemouth Crown Court, the pensioner said: “It has been two years since the men targeted me and I still remember those two weeks very well, and parts of it still haunt me. The actions of Daniel Coker, Scott Cochrane and Aaron Frigot have had a distinct impact on my quality of life. I am still concerned about the state of my garden today after the debris was left behind. Every morning when I wake up, I think of what these men did and just hope that nothing similar ever happens to me or anyone like me again, and I am fearful of being targeted again.”

Judge Jonathan Fuller KC jailed Coker for six years and seven months and Cochrane for three years and seven months. Barney and Frigot were given 12-month suspended prison sentences.

Gill Taylor, Dorset Council's Cabinet Member for Health and Housing (including Trading Standards), said: “Our Trading Standards team will vigorously investigate offenders who prey on the elderly and vulnerable residents of Dorset. When traders are found to be breaking the law, robust action will be taken against them. Never agree to work from unexpected doorstep callers. Always obtain written quotes and cancellation rights before work starts, and don’t be pressured by claims of immediate safety risks — seek a second opinion. Avoid making large cash payments and use traceable methods instead.”

The case highlights the role of local trading standards in protecting consumers and the importance of reporting suspected doorstep scams, particularly those targeting older residents. The court’s decision emphasizes that aggressive and deceptive marketing practices in the home services sector can lead to serious criminal consequences and that funds used to pay for such services can be traced and restrained through enforcement channels.