A driveway fraudster whose actions led to around 65 customers being conned out of £300,000 has been handed a 3-year prison sentence.
57-year-old Simon Regan, of Bradfield Road in Barrows Green, Crewe, appeared before Southampton Crown Court today (Thursday) for sentencing having been found guilty of 3 counts of carrying on the business of a company with the intent to defraud creditors or for other fraudulent purposes, contrary to Section 993 of the Companies Act 2006.
Between September 2014 and March 2021, under the trading names of Angel Coatings, Angel Coatings Resin Drives and National Resin Driveways, Regan took thousands of pounds from customers across the Isle of Wight, Hampshire and Devon for the installation of resin driveways which he either repeatedly installed poorly for largely inflated prices, or didn’t install at all.
Almost 10 years after his crime spree started, defrauded customers have now finally seen justice after a lengthy journey through the courts – all made possible thanks to a prosecution brought forward by the Isle of Wight Council’s Trading Standards team. It’s said to be one of the biggest Trading Standards prosecutions ever brought by the Council.
Regan was first due to appear in court in April 2021, but the case was adjourned several times before finally being heard by Magistrates in September of that year. He pleaded not guilty to the 3 charges against him and the matter was sent up to the Crown Court, with the case then due to be heard in November 2021. However, the matter was pushed back to January 2022 on medical grounds, with a further delay to March 2022.
A trial date was provisionally set for September last year – a whole 12 months after the delayed Magistrates appearance – but that never materialised, with the near 5-week trial finally getting underway in January 2023.
After hearing about Simon Regan’s actions, and how he gambled away significant amounts of money, a jury unanimously found him guilty on all 3 counts on 22nd February, with the case adjourned to today’s date for sentencing.
During the trial, the jury heard from many of those who have been affected by Regan’s actions, with some 65 witnesses giving evidence.
James and Elaine, just 2 of the many victims left out of pocket by Regan’s fraudulent behaviour, have told Island Echo they were left feeling very vulnerable by his actions as he had taken their money and strung them along with false promises.
They’ve said:
“We paid a 1st instalment of £1,500 with the written terms of his quote laying out 2 further payments, 1 when the groundworks were complete and the final payment on completion of the works.
“Over the course of the following weeks he sent around 4 sets of contractors to survey the works and give us a start date. At each point of commencement, the works were cancelled and Mr Regan gave various reasons. The last contractor commenced the works, however, on day 2, the contractor told us that Mr Regan wanted another payment. I politely talked to him and reminded him of the written terms of the contract and he agreed, however, the contractor never returned and Mr Regan promised another contractor would call which did not materialise.
“At this point we felt very vulnerable as he had taken our money and strung us along with false promises. We requested our money back and to cancel the contract as he had broken the terms. He promised to return the money within 2 weeks but failed again to honour the agreement.
“£1,500 is a lot to a pensioner. The trust goes and makes you question people’s honesty, which has left its scars”.
James Potter, the council’s Trading Standards manager, has said:
“This was a long and complex investigation with many lines of enquiry we had to follow.
“Simon Regan and his companies caused a huge amount of detriment to our local residents and businesses with his rogue and fraudulent trading practices.
“Some of the things he said and excuses he made to his customers were bullying and simply staggering. We’re pleased the court has found him guilty of his offending.”
His Honour Judge Brian Forster KC handed Regan a 3-year custodial sentence on each charge, to be served concurrently. Judge Forster also banned Regan from being a company director for a period of 6 years.
A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing will take place on 4th August at Southampton Crown Court to evaluate Regan’s financial benefit and the amount to be confiscated.
He’ll be out in two and doing it again. If he did that to one of my relatives I would be looking to find someone who could ‘persuade’ him not to do it again.
Like a hypnotist perhaps?
Unfortunately all the people that he defrauded won’t see a single penny in compensation as everything left will be in his wifes or family members names. He should have got 30 years cos 3years is a joke as he will be out before the end of 2024. As for 6 years being banned from being a company director what a joke should have been for life
He got 3 years for each charge… think it was three charges..
Yes there were 3 changes but the judge put them as concurrent so he will only serve about 14 – 18 months depending if he gets granted a tag. This P.O.S. Scammed nearly £5,000 out of my 86 year parents and they are now frightened to go anywhere or do anything just incase they get scammed again.
As far as I understand anyone can register as a company director under any name, Companies House does not require identity proof at present.So he can choose a new name.
What’s the point of Companies House, perhaps they need to be looked into also?
He’s still got 3 active directorships and yet he was banned from becoming a Director for 6 years, it honestly takes the pi55.
Not good,but he didn’t kill or threaten anyone,yes scammed them and hopefully they can be compensated for their losses from processeeds of crime ,but court and prison at further tax payers expense . Prison over money! but carry a knife , assault an emergency worker or sexualy abuse a child you don’t get prison!
Unfortunately most won’t see a penny
I know someone who was a victim of this scumbag they went to trading standards about him only to be informed they needed to wait for the company to repair the damage
They’re now left with something that is worse than what they started with and they didn’t even get a chance to have a say in court
After giving Simon Regan a reasonable time to repair the damage to no avail, they should have then reported that fact to Trading Standards again so that action could have been taken. A witness statement would have been taken then as in my case they would have been called to court as a prosecuting witness. James Potter and his colleagues within trading standards have done an excellent job in bringing this rogue to justice and should be commended. Unfortunately many islanders suffer from apathy syndrome and do nothing, they then expect others to send the rogue traders to the courts for them.
So, if these people paid by credit card they should get it back ?
But he would not accept credit or bank card only BACS payment. Just like many other traders on the island. I had one trader who would only accept cash, therefore I told him where to stick his quote.
I tried getting in touch with trading standards but was told I had to give him the chance to repair his work. I tried numerous times on the phone number given was told to leave a message & they would phone me back. Never once heard from Simon and trading standards were of no help to me at all.
Mainland scum ripping off poor unsuspecting island simpletons.
What’s the big deal? It’s £2,500 per driveway. The energy companies steel more than that each year. The council tax is theft. When will we see those prosecuted?!
That’s what happens when you swindle customers or do a poor job.
Another joke of a sentence 3 years jail (he be out in 18 months) and banned from being a director for 6 years what’s the point.
I would of given 3 years per victim he ripped off, 3×40 that’s 120 years but he be out after 60 years, I’m sure the sentences were tougher in the 1950’s and 60’s have we gone soft on crime now?
3 years, probably deserved. However, a certain disgraced Paramedic living opposite a Newport high school convicted of downloading child images and online grooming who he thought was a child gets fined £1000 and prison sentence. I suppose the driveway conman wasn’t a Masonic member.
# no prison sentence.
This wasn’t a Police case. Let’s give credit to IOW Council’s Trading Standards who put the evidence together to enable this prosecution. We rightly bash the council in these comments when they get something wrong, so let’s applaud when they get something right
Trading Standards need to get their act together… plenty more like this guy that need prosecuting…But TS can’t be bothered.
They can only act on complaints from customers. If customers don’t complain then how can TS take action. As I quoted in another post many islanders suffer from apathy syndrome therefore they don’t complain.
Never pay for work on your garden, drive, or property until the work has beencompleted.
Tell that to tradesmen on the island and you will never get a job done.
Thanks for that Einstein!
Typical northern scum, sadly plenty of them migrating southwards.
As a northerner, and therefor scum in your simple mind I should point out that in the 25 years I have lived here I have come across more scum, willing to steal, threaten, stab and rob just about anyone they think is an easy mark. It should be said that con-artists like Regan would most likely have refunded the monies stolen and moved due to families of the victims ‘having a word’, not just blaming anyone not born in the same area. Another difference between the north/south is that we take as we find and rectify as needed. If northerners are as bad as you claim, there must be hundreds stabbing, killing, robbing and living in London! Being a gobshite doesn’t make you cleverer or harder, just dumber IMO.
We northern scum are the salt of the earth. No pussy footing around and no fakery. Give me northern scum any day rather than some deluded southern twat with an unreasonably inflated ego.
What about the energy companies using Ukraine war as an accuse to rip everyone off.
I think you need beaming back up. You got off on the wrong planet Spock.
They are shit weeds still grow through thousands spent for nothing
3 years is not long enough with all the pain and suffering he has caused others. Honestly the judicial services seem to be promoting that it does pay to do crime.
So what are the chances that the twenty year guarantee on my driveway is still valid ?