A Lurgan trader has been fined and ordered to pay compensation to an elderly couple he took advantage of by carrying out substandard work at their Belfast home.
Damian McCaughley (32), of Princess Street in Lurgan, pleaded guilty to carrying out substandard work at the property, providing false business addresses on paperwork and failing to honour a 10-year guarantee for the work.
In a case brought by the Department for the Economy’s Trading Standards Service (TSS), Mr McCaughley pleaded guilty to a total of four charges under The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.
In June 2018, he cold called the home of pensioner couple in Belfast and offered to carry out work on their home and driveway.
The multi-agency campaign aims to raise awareness ahead of potentially increased demand for puppies coming up to Christmas.
It is being supported by Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC), Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), and Trading Standards.
PSNI Inspector Amanda Ford says, “Many people start their search for a new puppy online, and the campaign aims to raise awareness that buyers are more likely to buy an illegally bred puppy than they think.
“We are working in partnership to put a stop to illegal puppy farming, welfare concerns and serious organised crime within our District with our ‘Paws for Thought’ campaign.