Rogue builder jailed for £1.25million fraud ripping off customers

Posted on 23 December 2025, at 12:48 in In Court

Custody image of Mark Killick and photos of work left unfinished — Mark Killick's company left customers out of pocket by £1.25m for work either unfinished or not started.

A rogue builder who defrauded dozens of customers out of approximately £1.25million has been jailed for 14 years.

Mark Killick, who traded under the name Marc Cole, was found guilty of 37 counts of fraud by false representation in October after a 14-week trial at Bristol Crown Court.

The 56-year-old, from Paulton, promised customers his company TD Cole Ltd would be about to carry out building work for them, but after taking large sums of money from them, the work was left unfinished, or in some cases was never even started.

The jury was told that the scale of Killick’s fraud was the equivalent of a ‘lottery win’.

Devastated customers

Killick’s crimes were carried out between 2019 and 2021 and led to a joint investigation by Avon and Somerset Police and Bristol City Council’s Trading Standards team.

He told some customers they needed to pay their bills ‘urgently’, but the court was told he was running a ‘ponzi scheme’ and effectively using that money to fund the work for customers who had paid him months before for jobs he had not completed. He was also accused of failing to pay suppliers and contractors too, increasing the company’s liabilities.

Other money was used to fund his own personal expenditure, including gambling.

During his sentencing hearing yesterday (Monday 22 December), the customers who were the victims of Killick’s deception explained the devastating impact of his crimes.

Some of the victims prepared personal statements for the court to explain the devastating impact of Killick’s fraud.

One victim said the loss of approximately £75,000 was ‘unbearable and is something that haunts me every day’. He had to extend his mortgage to fund for someone else to complete the work left incomplete by TD Cole Ltd.
One woman who were defrauded of around £17,000, said: “My husband was due to retire soon due to some health issues, unfortunately due to the criminal actions of Killick he can no longer do this.”
Others had to move out of their homes for several months because the incomplete work had left their properties inhabitable.
One victim said: “The worst thing was that he just kept telling us lies, making endless false promises, giving fake excuses, and demanding more money for himself. He knew, moreover, in doing this, that he was endangering the health and safety of our children. He knew that our damaged flat roof at the rear was on the verge of collapse, and he knew it was above my son’s bedroom where he sleeps.”
Another victim said: “We no longer feel as confident in ourselves, as we did. We both had responsible jobs before we retired and thought we were good at being able to judge people. When we discovered that Killick had already been convicted for similar crimes, we realised we had been dealing with a very clever, professional, and competent criminal… Our financial loss means there could be less security for us in old age and less to pass on to children and grandchildren. As we are living on our pensions, we are less able to make up for our financial loss.”
Another defrauded customer added: “I was living with the entire contents of my kitchen in my lounge, holes in the walls and floor and no cooking facilities for four months with no line of sight to when it would be done, and it always been ‘next week’… I had to use my bath and bathroom sink for washing up for weeks and weeks and the entire thing was just incredibly frustrating and stressful. Then finding out I would not have a kitchen rebuilt, and with all the money gone, I was obviously distraught.”

DC Charlotte Suter, officer in the case, said: “Mark Killick defrauded dozens of his customers by taking huge sums of money from them while knowing he would not be using their money to do the work he had promised them.

“The financial impact of his crimes is clear with it being valued at about £1.25million. We are seeking to recover what we can via the Proceeds of Crime Act.

“Building projects are stressful times, even when they go all to plan, so it’s hard to adequately put into words what it’s been like for Killick’s victims.

“It has led to countless sleepless nights for them, as well as detrimental affected their health and future plans. While no sentence can undo the toll it’s caused, we hope they can take some comfort in Killick’s prison sentence.”

Killick jailed

Between 2008 and 2014 Killick was investigated and prosecuted twice for fraud offences relating to failing to complete building work after asking for deposits. In 2008 he was convicted under the name Killick and in 2014 under the name Mark Jenkins, which was his grandfather’s name.

In the 2000s he was also declared bankrupt.

In January 2019, Killick changed his name by deed poll to Marc Cole and the following month created TD Cole Ltd. He told the jury this name change was for family reasons, but it meant when customers searched his name they did not find previous press coverage of his previous convictions.

DC Suter added: “Mark Killick was a master of deception who talked the talk to convince trusting people he was a legitimate.

“In fact he is a serial fraudster who took people’s money and lied to them time and time again.”

Killick received a 14-year prison sentence yesterday. Upon his release, he will be the subject of a 15-year disqualification order which prohibits him from being the director of a company. He also received a Serious Crime Prevention Order for five years, which will apply a number of restricts on Killick after he has served his prison term.

Speaking after the sentencing, Senior Investigating Officer DI Hadley Rides said: “This result is the culmination of an exhaustive, multi-agency three-year investigation.

“We would like to thank our partners at Trading Standards for their continued support. I would also like to commend DCs Charlotte Suter, Kelly Pinsker and Rachael Webb for their meticulous work.

“Over the course of the five month trial, our specialist fraud and financial investigators navigated a complex web of banking records and alias names. Their dedication in tracing multiple bank transfers and debunking the defendant’s ‘honest businessman’ narrative was instrumental in securing those 37 guilty verdicts.”

Stay safe from rogue traders

While the overwhelming majority of tradespeople are legitimate business owners and do a good job, Trading Standards has advice for people who are considering have renovation work done.

Council’s tips to stay safe from rogue traders

- Be patient – good tradespeople typically have waiting lists of at least six months. Be wary of any builder who can start quickly or says they have just had a cancellation.

- Get genuine recommendations from people you know and trust. Don’t post messages on social media asking for a builder or tradesperson – rogue traders are known to use these platforms.

- Obtain three independent quotes making sure the quotes are detailed and give firm prices not estimates.

- Agree on start and expected completion dates and set up a payment plan. Never pay large deposits upfront.

- Don’t rely on guarantees offered by trader approval sites. These are often limited to small amounts and won’t cover the cost of putting things right if the works go wrong.

- Understand the requirements around planning and building regulations.

- Make sure you get everything in writing.

A detailed checklist is available here: Finding a builder checklist.pdf

To report a rogue trader, contact the Trading Standards Service via the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133.