Patrick Hartley, a builder operating in North West England, has been sentenced to prison for defrauding 13 households of nearly £700,000. One couple, Joanne and Anthony Dagostina, saw their home declared structurally unsafe and their wedding plans derailed after paying Hartley over £70,000.
The £700,000 trail of destruction across the North West
The scale of the deception carried out by Patrick Hartley extended far beyond a single botched renovation. According to the report, Hartley targeted 13 different households across the North West region over a three-year period, extracting almost £700,000 from victims through a series of commercial fraud offences.
For many, the financial loss was compounded by the physical danger Hartley left behind. the report describes a pattern of behavior where Hartley would secure high-value contracts and then use a rotating list of fabricated excuses—ranging from family illnesses to an electrician reuniting with a long-lost daughter—to justify delays and demand more money.
A 200 per cent failure risk and missing steel beams
The experience of Joanne and Anthony Dagostina serves as a harrowing example of the structural negligence involved. After paying Patrick Hartley over £70,000 for a new kitchen and home extension, the couple discovered that the work was fundamentally flawed. A structural engineer later declared the property unsafe, citing a 200 per cent failure risk.
The engineer's findings revealed that the extension lacked the steel beams Hartley had advertised, leaving the building dangerously inadequate. As the report says, this structural failure not only threatened the Dagostinas' home but also posed a risk to their neighbors, eventually necessitating a full demolition and an additional £14,000 in repair costs.
Three years and nine months for 26 fraud offences
The legal reckning for Patrick Hartley took place at Preston Crown Court, where he was convicted of 26 commercial fraud offences. this included six specific fraud claims and three violations of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations.. The court sentenced the 51-year-old builder to three years and nine months in prison.
To prevent future victims, the judge imposed a seven-year criminal behaviour order. This order explicitly forbids Patrick Hartley from owning any business involved in private building work, a move intended to strip the fraudster of his ability to operate within the construction industry.
The danger of Facebook reviews in the December 2021 search
This case highlights a growing trend of homeowners relying on social media for professional vetting. Joanne and Anthony Dagostina initially hired Patrick Hartley in December 2021 after seeing positive reviews on Facebook, where he was touted as a trustworthy builder with a solid local reputation.
The reliance on "social proof" over certified credentials often creates a blind spot for consumers.. In the construction industry, where structural integrity is a matter of life and death, the gap between a curated online persona and actual engineering competence can be catastrophic, as evidenced by the Dagostinas' near-collapse of both their home and their marriage.
Who else is hiding in the local council's database?
While 13 households have been identified, the full extent of Patrick Hartley's activity may still be emerging. The report notes that the local council is currently sifting through its database to identify other potential victims of fraudulent practices who may not have yet come forward.
It remains unclear whether Patrick Hartley operated entirely alone or if he had accomplices helping to fabricate the "trustworthy" reputation he maintained online. Furthermore, the report does not specify if any of the £700,000 stolen will be recovered for the victims through asset seizure.
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