A COWBOY builder allegedly conned a family out of £60,000 and left their home in ruins.
Tomosz Krol, 39, and his wife Marta, 37, wanted an extension to their three-bedroom house but have instead spent two years “living on a building site”.
Tomasz Krol, his wife Marta and 18-month-old daughter Alijia
The family say they have been living on a building site for two years after being conned by a cowboy builder
The couple signed a contract with Lee Slocombe in 2021 – unaware he had served three years and seven months behind bars for fraud.
They agreed to pay £40,000 for two extra bedrooms and an en-suite at their £300,000 semi in Fairwater, Cardiff, but this quickly shot up to £60,000 as he “kept asking for more and more”.
Almost none of the materials arrived and Slocombe then ditched the job part-way through, reportedly leaving the property in a state.
“It’s been two years and we are living on a building site,” Tomosz told MailOnline.
“It’s dangerous for us and the children, and it’s bitterly cold in the house during the winter.”
The family, including 18-month-old Alijia and Tomosz’s stepdaughter Oliwia, 16, have to negotiate temporary steps before entering a tunnel just to reach the side door of the house.
Their neighbours have also complained that the set-up is an eyesore in the street.
Tomosz has done what he can with the brickwork himself, but they are still left with exposed wires, scaffolding and half-finished plaster.
The dad-of-two said he only realised the builder had ripped him and other customers off after seeing a photo of him and reading about his history online.
Tomosz knew him as Lee Lewis but it transpired he was actually Lee Slocombe, who previously scammed three families out of a total of £43,000.
At Newport Crown Court in 2015, prosecutor Claire Pickthall described the tradesman as having told “barefaced” and “sophisticated” lies which left his victims with a “mountain of debt”, WalesOnline reports.
He was handed a 43-month sentence after pleading guilty to three counts of fraud.
Tomosz said: “I nearly had a heart attack.
“I knew straight away we had lost our money”.
Slocombe, from Swansea, featured on the Channel 5 programme Cowboy Builders which told the story of his deception.
But just months after being freed from prison, he set up two building firms and launched a string of fresh schemes.
Slocombe, listed as a director of LS Refurbishments Ltd and Kamlee Builders Ltd on Companies House, said he had taken extra care to follow the correct procedures after being locked up.
He told MailOnline: “I know I’ve been squeaky clean – I have all the invoices for the materials, architects drawings, the lot.
“I’ve spent just under £100,000 on Mr Krol’s job – I’m the one who is out of pocket.
“I quoted for a garage extension, but then they decided they wanted to extend the kitchen. It’s all added to their cost.
“We were delayed by Covid, then my three-year-old son was diagnosed with autism and asthma and another relative attempted suicide.”
Slocombe denied ever using a false name and suggested Tomasz had confused him with the architect of the project, who is called Lewis.
“I’ve got a past, I’ve done my time and should not be judged by it,” he added.
“Nothing stops me trading as a builder – I have 20 references from other customers who say I have done a good job.”
He has been referred to Trading Standards.
The house in Fairwater, Cardiff, ‘left in ruins’
Lee Slocombe was previously jailed for three and a half years for fraud
The couple agreed to pay £40,000 but this quickly shot up to £60,000
