Locksmith jailed for cheating customers in desperate straits

A locksmith who ripped off dozens of desperate customers and was featured on the BBC's Rogue Traders programme was jailed for four years yesterday.

Mark Makowski, 40, overcharged his victims by hundreds of pounds for shoddy and often unnecessary work around the London area.

He ignored letters of complaint and bullied unhappy customers – calling one woman “scum” when she phoned him.

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A Trading Standards investigation found 88 people who expressed concerns about his conduct and prosecutors took 11 cases to court, totalling 8,000.

Makowski, of Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, was found guilty by an Old Bailey jury of 15 counts of fraud by false representation.

Judge Anthony Morris told him: “You have shown a total lack of remorse for your offences and shown yourself to be a thoroughly dishonest man.”

The court heard that between April 2007 and September 2008 he deliberately targeted members of the public who needed an emergency locksmith.

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His victims, who had been burgled or locked out of their houses, often late at night, were usually in a “desperate or vulnerable state”, the judge said, a number being elderly, or women on their own or with children.

Makowski advertised his services as Pronto Locks Ltd locally and on the Internet, claiming to be the largest locksmith business in London and the South- East.

In fact he only had one man working for him and no business premises, the court heard.

The judge said: “When your victims contacted you when they were in desperate straits, you dishonestly provided them with misleading quotes for work required.

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“You drilled out their locks when this was usually unnecessary, thereby leaving their homes insecure and leaving them with no real option but to have you fitting them with replacements and then charging grossly excessive amounts.”

Makowski would usually quote prices between 100 and 200 then eventually charge more than 500 – but on occasions more than 1,000.

The judge told the defendant, who had worked in the trade since the age of 16: “The work you did was frequently incompetently executed. I doubt you have the skill even to be described as a locksmith.”

He said Makowski had “contempt” for his customers, and only replied to letters of complaint when they were from credit card companies, to try to avoid legal action.