Kevin James Musson, aged 64, and his son Ryan Kevin Musson, 39, both of Cumbria, worked as roofers for Cumbria Roofing North West Ltd.
The company was incorporated in June 2009 but went into creditor’s voluntary liquidation eight years later in May 2017. This triggered an investigation by the Insolvency Service.
The investigation discovered that while Ryan Musson and other family members were officially listed as the director and secretaries of the company, Kevin Musson was actually controlling the business.
However, in October 2010 Kevin Musson had been banned from being a director for 10 years after he was caught illegally running another company, Cumbria Roofing BM Ltd, while bankrupt. When this company was wound up, it owed creditors almost £150,000.
Enquiries also found father and son had taken £181,000 between July 2016 and March 2017 from a customer to renovate their property in Keswick.
At the end of the job, however, Kevin and Ryan Musson left the customer with an uninhabitable property. Father and son also got the customer to pay the funds to a different company, Cumbria Roofing Ltd, because Cumbria Roofing North West Ltd was being pursued for outstanding tax liabilities.
After liquidation, Kevin Musson (the father) also transferred funds of £9,450 and £28,583 from company accounts to himself.
Another customer paid almost £10,000 to Cumbria Roofing North West Ltd for a new roof on his property in Garside. Kevin Musson, however, provided his own personal bank account details to the customer and when the customer complained about the quality of the work, Kevin Musson did not return to the job and left the victim with no roof.
Kevin Musson pleaded guilty to acting in contravention of his disqualification, and two counts of fraudulently removing company property when he transferred cash.
Ryan Musson pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting Kevin Musson in acting in contravention of his disqualification and making an application for the voluntary striking off of a company that had traded in the previous three months.
The roofers appeared at Carlisle Crown Court before HHJ Medland QC on 20th April where they were given suspended prison sentences.
Kevin Musson received an 18 month prison sentence suspended for two years. He was ordered to do 150 hours of community service and disqualified from being a director of a company for 10 years.
Ryan Musson received a 12 month prison sentence suspended for two years. He was also ordered to undertake 150 hours of community service and was disqualified from being a company director for four years.
Julie Barnes, chief inspector at the Insolvency Service, said: “Kevin Musson took thousands of pounds from his victims to carry out work in good faith but instead left them with inhabitable properties. All the while, Ryan was complicit in helping his father illegally be the driving force of the roofing company which was in flagrant breach of Kevin’s 10-year ban.
“Father and son were totally negligent and refused to engage throughout our investigations. The seriousness of their offences are reflected in the sentences handed down by the court and this should serve as a stark warning to other directors.”
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