Archibald Brown swindled an 85 year old out of £3,500. He must repay the money for the wet room he never installed.
Archibald Brown fooled Margaret McPherson by agreeing to install a wet room for Betty in Erskine. This happened in 2023 on Sempill Avenue. Brown, 55, took money for “materials” but did not return to do the job.
Brown went to Paisley Sheriff Court and admitted to fraud against Betty McPherson. He also defrauded Mr. and Mrs. Boyce from Blantyre, taking £2,000 from them. Brown claimed he used the money for drug debts. Brown denied fraud against a woman in Catrine, and the court accepted this plea of not guilty.
Sheriff McCartney told Brown to repay £3,500, issuing a compensation order to Ms. McPherson. Her daughter Margaret and son David welcomed this. Margaret spoke after the court hearing, stating her family finally had peace.
She hired Brown after her mom fell badly since neighbors recommended Brown after he did work for them. Her mother was 85 and broke her knee, spending six weeks in the hospital. The family installed a stairlift post-hospital.
Betty struggled with the shower, which upset her. They hired Archibald Brown to install a wet room as neighbors said his work was great, and they felt they could trust him.
He quoted £4,500 and showed examples, needing £3,500 for materials. Brown claimed he lacked an account at the chosen store. He never showed and made excuses. Margaret is glad it’s over after court delays, as her mom felt stressed throughout this ordeal.
David said their mom felt stressed and the court’s outcome was good. They are happy to get the money back and wanted the money repaid. It was a matter of right, not the amount, since he took money from an 85-year-old woman.
The court heard about the Blantyre case, where between March and May 2023, Mr. and Mrs. Boyce hired Brown. The couple transferred him £2,000 to complete bathroom work, but he never appeared. Fortunately, the bank reversed the transaction, and the couple received a refund.
Ms. McPherson sent Brown money for materials between August and October 2023, but he failed to do the work. The bank could not reverse the payment.
Brown’s lawyer said he felt “deeply ashamed”, as he used drugs at the time. He had trouble paying his bills and owed money to drug dealers.
Sheriff McCartney criticized Brown’s actions: taking money from people for home improvements without doing any work. The court views this seriously and the Sheriff almost sent Brown to prison, but opted for an alternative sentence.
Brown, from Hamilton, now must do unpaid work by working 280 hours in the community. He must repay Ms. McPherson in six months and has to go through social work supervision for nine months.