A conman pretending to be a tradesman is accused of stealing thousands of dollars from a family after promising to make their backyard suitable for their disabled son. Photo / Gofundme
A conman pretending to be a tradesman is accused of stealing thousands of dollars from a family after promising to make their backyard suitable for their disabled son. Photo / Gofundme
A conman pretending to be a tradesman is accused of stealing thousands of dollars from a family after promising to make their backyard suitable for their disabled son.
UK boy William Ashington had both feet amputated two years ago but struggled to play in the backyard because of its slope.
His parents Philomene and Craig saved up to be able to redesign the backyard to make it accessible for William.
The tradesman had asked for the money up front in April to buy materials to start in June.
They paid the supposed tradesman £4250 ($8360) for the work, only for the man to do a runner with the cash and go on holiday to tourist destination Skegness.
"We'd saved up quite a lot of money. We're just a normal family. We were originally going to put it towards a sports wheelchair for William, and we gave him a choice," Philomene told Metro.
"He said 'oh no Mummy, I'd love a really nice garden so I can play'.
"Unbeknownst to us, we didn't know he was a rogue tradesman and a conman to boot.
"It's been really stressful. we felt initially quite embarrassed that we'd given all this money upfront to somebody. It's an impossible situation.
"He knows what he's doing. He was messaging Craig saying 'I can't wait to see the smile on your boy's face'. It's cruel."
William, just 10, was born with fibular hemimelia, a birth defect where part or all of the fibular bone is missing, meaning he needed to have both feet amputated aged 8.
For two years he was wheelchair-bound before the family decided to follow through with the amputation, saying he would adapt easier as a child than getting it done as an adult.
A conman pretending to be a tradesman is accused of stealing thousands of dollars from a family after promising to make their backyard suitable for their disabled son. Photo / Gofundme
Having already lost a lot of his childhood, William was then fitted with prosthetic legs.
In a change of fortune, the family has had more than $4000 raised on Gofundme in a bid to help recoup the stolen funds for William's backyard.
Locals tradies and companies have also put their hand up to help complete the backyard, with one agreeing to bring a digger in to level the ground, put steps in and extend the patio.
Another company also agreed to install and paint a shed at cost value for William's exercise equipment.
The family has also been given turf free of charge.
William's mum said despite their misfortune, the community's generosity proves there are good people out there.
"Ten's a funny age and William picks up on things. The fact these guys are going to come and do the garden, he said 'there are good people out there'. I said 'yes, there are."
Another man who was conned by the rogue tradie says a number of families have been targetted and it is believed he's taken off with close to $70,000.
Staffordshire Police have confirmed they are investigating.
A spokesperson for the force said: "Staffordshire Police is investigating a number of frauds in the Uttoxeter area. No arrests have been made."
