A BUILDER who fled to Australia halfway through a £20,000 job was “too lazy” to put his real company name on the quotes, a court heard.

Wayne Tredwell, 52, of Rayleigh Road, Benfleet, worked as a builder for Leigh-based firm WindowFix, owned by his brother Phil, but set up his own firm to carry out private work.

However, he told Basildon Crown Court that he failed to put the name Wayne Tredwell Associates on quotes he gave to his first ever customers in November 2014.

Instead, he printed out the quotes on WindowFix headed notepaper with a written guarantee for the work.

Tredwell denies three counts of fraud by false representation in relation to a kitchen extension, a garage conversion and a loft conversion he failed to carry out for Stephen and Laura Bessant, from Leigh.

Giving evidence, Tredwell said Mr and Mrs Bessant knew he was carrying out the job privately because WindowFix could not take on any more work.

He said: “I made it quite clear to Mr Bessant that WindowFix were far too busy to take on the job but I was available to start if required and we set up another meeting.

“He said: ‘Yeah, great.’ I told him it wouldn’t be a WindowFix project. I told him it would be my new company.”

Mr Tredwell said the quotes were exclusive of VAT and his new firm was not VAT registered. Three payments of £6,400, £6,500 and finally £6,500 were made into his bank account.

He said: “I said my bank account details were Wayne Tredwell and I told him the necessary information.”

However, just 24 days after the work began, Tredwell left the UK and told the Bessants by text he had moved to Australia, where he previously lived for 15 years.

As a result, WindowFix refused to complete the work and the couple had to find a new firm at great expense.

He said: “I had a separation and I just had a meltdown. I was a physical wreck. I bought a ticket and jumped on a plane.”

Neil King, prosecuting, asked Tredwell why he had persisted in printing out quotes on WindowFix paper when he knew it was not a company job.

He said: “Laziness.”

Addressing him, Mr King said: “This is a £20,000 quote for your first job you have ever done and you say you couldn’t be bothered to change the paper in the printer?”

Tredwell replied: “Yes.”

The trial continues.