Nigel Dinneen kept on operating despite going bust in 2019

A bankrupt builder from Derby has been jailed after illegally obtaining more than £400,000 for home improvement projects from five victims across the Midlands.

Nigel Dinneen, 72, took advance payments without telling customers he had been declared bankrupt in July 2019, despite being legally required to disclose that status when seeking credit of £500 or more.

Dinneen, of Duesbury Court, Mickleover, was sentenced to 12 months in prison at Derby Crown Court.

Family left living in a half-built house

One of his first victims, a fire and security contracts manager from Leicester, paid a deposit in summer 2019 for a £40,000 extension.

The court heard Dinneen appeared enthusiastic but failed to mention his bankruptcy.

Work soon stalled, and the family were left living in awful conditions with their children sleeping on floors among building materials and a tarpaulin used to keep out cold and rain. He said the family would be repaying debt to fix and complete the work until 2029.

Across all five victims, Dinneen obtained £414,594 in advance payments.

Garage demolition left unfinished

A healthcare worker from Kirby Muxloe paid for a garage demolition and two-storey extension in December 2019, but problems mounted while the victim was working on the Covid frontline.

The project caused disputes with neighbours and attracted rodents before Dinneen was dismissed with the job unfinished.

Other victims included customers in Nuneaton, Loughborough and Market Bosworth, who paid tens of thousands of pounds for incomplete extensions.

Dinneen committed perjury

Dinneen also committed perjury by lying to the Official Receiver and failing to declare several bank accounts used to receive the payments.

David Snasdell, chief investigator at the Insolvency Service, said Dinneen had “ruined people’s lives”, adding the prosecution showed the agency would pursue those who break bankruptcy rules.