Cowboy builder took £1.25m off customers to travel the world in luxury | UK | News
The moment Mark Killick was arrested (Image: undefined)
Britain’s most notorious rogue housebuilder has embarked on a jet-setting life of luxury after defrauding dozens of customers out of more than £1.25 million.
Mark Killick, who identified himself to customers as Marc Cole, fraudulently accepted payments from customers and then squandered the money on himself; He jet-set around the world in luxury and financed his gambling addiction.
The video shows the moment the serial cheater, from Paulton, Somerset, was finally brought to justice and caught by officers.
The value of Killick’s unfinished work among his 37 victims is estimated at around £1,270,000.
They paid a total of £1,473,191 to the company.
SWNS_BUILDER_ARRESTED_001_105087.jpg (Image: undefined)
His trial was told Killick was only charged with 46 offenses of fraud by false representation between 2019 and 2021 after receiving more than 100 complaints, the equivalent of “lottery winnings”.
A 14-week trial at Bristol Crown Court found him guilty of 37 offenses and he was remanded in custody to be sentenced on Monday, December 22.
Speaking after the case, police described Killick’s crime as “fraud on an eye-watering scale”.
The trial heard how Killick demanded customers pay significant sums of money upfront so he could pay for orders or supplies.
One of the many failed businesses Killick left behind (Image: undefined)
He then pressured some customers that they needed to pay their bills ‘urgently’ – but the court was told he was running a ‘ponzi scheme’ and effectively used the money to fund his work from customers who had paid him months earlier for work he had not completed. He was also accused of increasing the company’s liabilities by neglecting to pay suppliers and contractors.
Killick’s firm, TD Cole Ltd, would begin work for some clients who, despite spending tens of thousands of pounds, would see no progress for weeks or even months.
The prosecution argued that the victims had a weak bargaining position as their homes had been turned into a construction site and they were left hanging, waiting for Killick to respond to calls and messages explaining when work would resume.
As a result, if he requested additional funds, they felt obliged to comply to avoid writing off their financial losses.
Another Killick mess (Image: undefined)
Other customers were paying Killick and TD Cole for work that never worked.
After several weeks of deliberations, the jury found Killick guilty of 37 counts of fraud by false representation (33 by unanimous vote and four by majority verdict) and acquitted him of one count. He was not convicted of the remaining eight crimes.
Following the guilty verdict, Detective Sergeant Louise Sinclair commented: “Mark Killick sold his clients a dream of residential redevelopment.
“He left them with a nightmare and thousands of pounds out of pocket.
Killick’s actions were ‘eye-wateringly fraudulent’ (Image: undefined)
“This was fraud at an eye-watering level.
“The name change prevented clients who searched Killick’s credentials from seeing media reports of his previous fraud convictions.
“He is a serial cheater.”
Killick declared bankruptcy in the 2000s (Image: undefined)
Killick’s victims were unaware of the financial difficulties facing TD Cole Ltd and his previous criminal records. Between 2008 and 2014 Killick was twice investigated and prosecuted for fraud offenses relating to the failure to complete construction work after a deposit had been received.
He was convicted in 2008 under the name Killick and in 2014 under the name Mark Jenkins, his grandfather’s name.
It was declared bankrupt in the 2000s.
Police body camera recorded Killick’s arrest (Image: undefined)
In January 2019, Killick changed his name to Marc Cole by deed poll and then formed TD Cole Ltd the following month. He told the jury that the name change was due to family reasons.
When questioned by police later, Killick said the business had started well, with customers leaving positive online reviews. But unforeseen events such as Covid-19, a fuel crash and a crash he was involved in have significantly impacted the speed at which things can progress.
Trading Standards launched an investigation into Killick, his birth name, in 2020 following a number of complaints about the business.
The case was then referred to Avon and Somerset Police, who worked with the Crown Prosecution Service to secure 46 charges.
Killick decided to liquidate TD Cole Ltd at the beginning of November 2021 due to mounting liabilities it could not meet, but continued to receive money from customers in the days leading up to this.
Detectives arrested him a few weeks later.
Killick blamed outbreak, fuel strikes and crash (Image: undefined)
During interviews he told police he was setting up a new company called Cole Design, which would be a sole trader and that the business would finish off TD Cole Ltd’s unfinished business.
He said his arrest prevented that.
DS Sinclair added: “Many companies have taken a huge financial hit due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Complaints against the builder continue (Image: undefined)
“Lockdown and self-isolation has meant that it has been a truly difficult environment for businesses, and the challenges faced by Killick have been replicated across the country.
“If it were explained to clients that Covid-19 affects when work can start, I have no doubt that most, if not all, would understand.
“But that wasn’t what he chose to do because he wanted their money.
“He repeatedly chose to lie to customers, pressuring them to hand over large sums of cash to guarantee orders, even though he knew the money they gave would never be used for his business.
“Killick was paying himself a commission for each job secured and so some of the cash he handed over, hoping to pay for clients’ construction projects and orders, instead went into his personal account and was used for hotel stays and gambling.
“The precarious financial situation was such that, unbeknownst to his victims, Killick was using loan sharks for cash flow and continued to ask for payment for several days before liquidating TD Cole Ltd.
“Killick’s claim that he would complete the work through a new company does not stand up to scrutiny, given the lies he had already made up to clients and the fact that the money he was paid for these jobs had already been spent. He did not have the money to do it.”
Bristol City Council Trading Standards Investigator Martyn Nicklin commented after the trial: “The conclusion of this trial is also an opportunity for us to remind anyone considering building work to do their research to ensure they are employing a competent and responsible tradesman.
“There are many excellent tradesmen out there, but there are also a significant number of rogue tradesmen who pretend to be excellent service and price but fail to deliver on time or on budget.”
