William King (Image: Cheshire Constabulary)
Last Updated: 1 minute ago
A convicted fraudster who continued to exploit elderly homeowners despite being bound by a court order designed to stop him reoffending has been sentenced to five years and eight months in prison.
William King, 48, of Tonley Lane, Newark, Nottinghamshire, appeared at Chester Crown Court on Tuesday, June 16, where he admitted five counts of failing to comply with a Serious Crime Prevention Order (SCPO).
A new five-year SCPO was also imposed, which will take effect upon his release from custody.
The breaches
Between October 2024 and April 2025, King established three separate companies focused on roofing repairs and maintenance – all without notifying Cheshire Police, in direct violation of his existing SCPO.
Over that period, he was involved in 13 building projects carried out for elderly residents across Cheshire, North Wales, Devon and Cornwall.
Officers also obtained video footage of King carrying out cold calls for roofing work while introducing himself as “John Myles” – a further breach of the order, which prohibited him from using any alias.
How he was caught
The investigation – codenamed Operation Propped – began in November 2024 after a woman contacted Cheshire Police about poor-quality building work completed at her mother’s property in Cheshire.
Having researched the builder responsible online, the woman identified King from a news article relating to his previous convictions for defrauding elderly people through substandard construction work.
Previous conviction
King had been jailed in 2022 after defrauding a number of elderly victims out of a combined total exceeding £200,000 through unnecessary and poor-quality building work.
Following his release, the SCPO came into force. Its conditions required him to inform Cheshire Police of any businesses he set up, and banned him from using any alias names.
King’s response
When interviewed by officers, King acknowledged setting up the building companies and being responsible for carrying out the work. He claimed, however, that he had not been served with the prevention order and was therefore unaware of its conditions.
Confronted with video footage showing him using the name John Myles, King exercised his legal right to remain silent.
Detective Constable Gareth Yates, who led the investigation, said: “Despite previously being convicted, sent to prison, and being handed a crime prevention order with strict conditions, William King clearly thought he was above the law and would face no consequences for defrauding 13 more vulnerable people by carrying out substandard construction work. He was gravely mistaken.
“After receiving information that King had struck again in Cheshire and had clearly breached his Serious Crime Prevention Order on multiple occasions, officers working under Operation Propped launched enquiries to locate him and swiftly return him to prison.
“It was the overwhelming amount of evidence they found and presented to King that left him with no choice but to plead guilty to the charges he faced.
“I hope this case makes it clear that Cheshire is not a place for rogue traders or cold callers looking to exploit anyone into handing over their hard-earned money for poor-quality work.
“If you suspect that you, or anyone you know, has been the victim of rogue trading, do not hesitate to contact Cheshire Police. Our officers will do all they can to get you the justice you deserve.”
