An Auckland man falsely claiming to be a registered plumber has been fined $9000 after complaints about his work.
Clayton Williams, also known as Clayton Wallace and James Harms, has been found guilty of false advertising and sanitary plumbing charges after a hearing in which he failed to
appear at the Auckland District Court.
In a written decision Judge Fred McElrea said the work done by Williams was poor.
It had posed significant health and safety risks to the complainants and their families.
Judge McElrea said the work was done in such a way that cross-contamination, where clean water supply comes into contact with polluted water, had posed the risk of infection by parasites.
Aggravating factors included Williams' threatening and abusive conduct, including an attack on one complainant's property.
Williams had stuck a pick axe through the house roof of a complainant who had refused to pay his bill because of the poor standard of work.
Judge McElrea said that after complaints against Williams in 2001 he had been deregistered by the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board following investigations in Australia.
