Michael Haslam, a Derby builder, has had his 28-month prison sentence suspended by the Court of Appeal. The sentence, originally imposed on 1 July, was suspended at a hearing on Wednesday 26 August.
Haslam's sentence will now be suspended for two years, and he will be subject to a rehabilitation order. He is also required to complete 160 hours of unpaid work.
Haslam took over £200,000 from seven customers between 2020 and 2022, operating M&J Builders Limited while it was insolvent. Victims were left with dangerous, unfinished homes, with one family reportedly told their extension might need to be demolished.
The Insolvency Service found that money was spent on cash withdrawals, online shopping, and payments to family members instead of completing the work. Haslam, 74, of Oaklands Avenue, Littleover, pleaded guilty to one count of fraudulent trading in May this year and was disqualified as a company director for 15 years.