A so-called 'superstar builder' has been sentenced to 30 months in prison after defrauding a retired couple of over £150,000 meant for their 'forever home', spending the money on luxury items including a boat.
The Dream Home That Turned Into a Nightmare
Martin Ritchie, 35, was recommended to Jim and Jean Shaw as a top-quality builder for the renovation of their dream bungalow in Lenzie, Dunbartonshire. The couple, who had bought the property after Mr Shaw spotted it on his route as a BT engineer, agreed to pay Ritchie's company, RPM, a total fee of £264,450 in instalments as the work progressed.
Between May and July 2021, the Shaws handed over £151,260 to Ritchie. However, prosecutor Darren Harty told Glasgow Sheriff Court that 'very little to no' work was actually completed during this period. Mr Shaw, 67, described visiting the site to find three 'young boys' lazing around on their mobile phones instead of working.
Lifestyle Funded by Fraud
Instead of using the funds for construction, Ritchie used the cash to bankroll his personal lifestyle. The court heard he purchased a boat and new vans, and went on shopping sprees in designer stores. A subsequent progress report determined that the value of the work carried out by Ritchie's firm was effectively nil.
Ritchie, a first offender from Motherwell, Lanarkshire, was also convicted of a separate fraud worth £9,202 after failing to purchase a kitchen for another customer.
Lasting Impact and Eventual Justice
The consequences for the Shaws were severe. They were forced to pay for rented accommodation while hiring a reputable builder to complete the work, which took a further 12 months. Due to the financial strain of the rent, they eventually had to move back into the bungalow while construction was still ongoing.
In a victim impact statement described by Sheriff Paul Reid as painting 'a depressing picture of despair', Mr Shaw said he felt 'devastated'. He emotionally told the court, 'This was going to be our forever home.' The couple, who are not yet retired and work part-time in a family second-hand car business, said outside court: 'Justice has been done. He put us through a lot of pain in the last five years.'
Sentencing Ritchie, Sheriff Reid stated the custodial threshold had been passed by 'some distance'. He told the defendant: 'I have read the victim impact statement... Your behaviour was deplorable and dishonest.' Defence lawyer Paul Mullen said his client 'accepts that this offence caused considerable upset and harm to the victims'.
