‘Bullying’ locksmith is jailed for 4 years - Mark Makowski targeted vulnerable locked out of their homes
Published: 03 September 2010
by CHARLOTTE CHAMBERS and JAMIE WELHAM
A LOCKSMITH who conned customers out of thousands of pounds by damaging their doors and then overcharging them has been jailed for four years.
Mark Makowski, 40, from Hertfordshire, who used a bogus business address in Marylebone, told his victims there was no alternative than to knock down entrances before hitting them with inflated invoices, the Old Bailey heard on Tuesday.
He was found guilty of 15 counts of fraud relating to 11 out of 88 complaints across London.
Makowski targeted people in need of an emergency locksmith through his company Pronto Locks – residents who had been burgled or locked out and who were often in a “desperate or vulnerable state”.
Many were elderly or women living on their own, with some victims hit with bills of more than £1,000 for work that should have cost as little as £50.
After a tip-off, Trading Standards officers at Westminster Council conducted two sting operations, acting as residents locked out of their homes.
On each occasion, an independent locksmith told officers the work could have been done in a matter of moments and without the need for forced entry.
Jurors were told how Makowski ignored letters of complaint and bullied unhappy customers.
Speaking at Tuesday’s sentencing, Judge Anthony Morris told him he had acted as “an unpleasant bully, riding roughshod over any opposition to your business methods”.
He added: “You have shown a total lack of remorse for your offences and shown yourself to be a thoroughly dishonest man.”
Speaking afterwards, head of Westminster Trading Standards Sue Jones, said: “We are extremely satisfied at the outcome of this case.
“It has involved considerable time and effort to bring this man to justice after he relentlessly acted without any degree of professionalism, conning vulnerable residents into paying huge sums of money for what should have been very simple and much less expensive work”.
Westminster Cabinet Member for Business, Enterprise and Skills, Cllr Brian Connell said: “His despicable behaviour dates back over a number of years, and he didn’t care who his victims were or their financial situation, young, old, rich or poor, they were all considered fair game to satisfy his greed.
“It’s a credit to the work of our Trading Standards team and other agencies who doggedly pursued this crook to bring him to justice.”
Makowski was given three and a half years for fraud and an extra six months to run consecutively as one of his scams took place while he was on bail.
He stands to be released on licence after two years.
A hearing to decide the level of compensation for his victims will take place next year.