Denny rogue trader took £13,000 and then ruined people's driveways

Keenan Kirkwood, 23, appeared at Falkirk Sheriff Court last Thursday having pleaded to obtaining £11,500 through fraud at an address in Little Denny Road, Denny between July 25 and July 29, 2019.

He also admitted obtaining £1850 through fraud at an address in Cardowan Drive, Stepps between July 31 and August 3, 2019.

Procurator fiscal depute Robbie McDougall said Kirkwood’s Denny-based firm Kirkwood Paving Ltd dissolved in March, 2021. Not before his employees ruined the driveways of at least two of his customers and cost them a pretty penny.

He added: “Back in 2019 the accused and an associate made an unsolicited visit to the home of an elderly couple and gave them an advertising flyer for Kirkwood Paving Ltd and a £9000 verbal quote for work on their driveway.

"A total fo £11,500 was transferred into the account of Keenan Kirkwood later that same day. Work was then carried out by employees of Keenan Kirkwood from July 25 to July 29.

"The complainers were unhappy with the quality of the work carried out and contacted trading standards. A surveyor attended at the property and found work to the driveway was not satisfactory.”

It was stated £8000 of remedial work was required to fix the shoddy job.

And it was a similar story at another property, where an elderly resident’s drain ended up being blocked due to the bad workmanship of Kirkwood’s employees. In fact a new drive was required costing £2500 after the resident had already paid Kirkwood £1860.

Sheriff Craig Harris said he was not happy with the criminal justice social work report on Kirkwood, 14 Overton Crescent, Denny, which seemed to indicate he did not mean to defraud people out of money – yet that was the very charges he had pleaded guilty to.

He adjourned the case to July 10 for another criminal justice social work report to be carried out and a restriction of liberty order assessment.