Two rogue builders have been sentenced after leaving a homeowner in danger through a botched building project in Potters Bar.
Sai Manideep Chadaram, 28, of Talbot Avenue, Slough, and Razvan Andrei Hlihor, 31, of Burton Road, Uxbridge, carried out an unsafe home extension in 2023, leaving the property with serious structural and electrical faults.
The homeowner had contracted Mr Chadaram for a single-storey extension, loft conversion, and refurbishment work, totalling approximately £128,000, which was expected to take six months.
Concerns quickly arose about the standard and safety of the work, prompting a complaint to Hertfordshire County Council's Trading Standards Service.
The homeowner said: "The harm the defendants' work has caused my family has been serious and long-lasting, and three years on, we still cannot escape it.
"I trusted these traders with my life savings, my hard-earned career stability, and my children’s future.
"In return, their negligence has trapped us in a structurally compromised, physically hazardous environment that actively threatens our safety every single day."
Trading standards officers uncovered serious breaches of building regulations, a fraudulent electrical installation certificate issued by Hlihor, and the use of a false business identity by Chadaram, who claimed to represent a limited company.
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Expert reports identified unsafe electrics, missing steelwork fixings, inadequate fire protection, and widespread insulation defects throughout the property.
At St Albans Crown Court on October 16, Chadaram was sentenced to four years in prison after admitting fraud and unfair commercial practices.
Hlihor received a 20-month sentence, suspended for three years, along with 280 hours of unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay £5,000 in compensation to the victim and £4,000 towards prosecution costs.
During sentencing, Judge Siddique commended the council’s investigation and described Chadaram's business claims as "a pack of lies."
He said Hlihor's actions had created a "risk to life" by falsifying electrical documents.
Councillor Ajanta Hilton, executive member for public health and community safety at Hertfordshire County Council, said: "Residents should be able to engage builders and tradespeople with confidence.
"This prosecution demonstrates that Hertfordshire Trading Standards will pursue individuals who seek to profit through deception and who fail to meet the standards consumers are entitled to expect."
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