Builder sentenced to 14 years in prison after $1.69 million financing fraud case

A manufacturer who defrauded dozens of customers of around £1.25 million ($1.69 million) was sentenced to 14 years in prison after a court heard he used some of the money to finance your gambling habit.

Mark Killick, 56, from Paulton in England, also known as Marc Cole, was found guilty of 37 counts of fraud by false representation following a 14-week trial at Bristol Crown Court.

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

Mark Killick was found guilty of 37 counts of fraud by false representation following a 14-week trial at Bristol Crown Court.

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– Avon and Somerset Police (@ASPolice) December 23, 2025

Operating under the trading name TD Cole Ltd, Killick accepted large upfront payments for construction work which was never completed or, in many cases, never even started. The fraud took place between 2019 and 2021 and was investigated by Avon and Somerset Police alongside Bristol City Council’s Trading Standards Team.

A manufacturer committed fraud to finance his personal expenses and gambling habits

Jurors were told the scale of the scam was similar to winning the lottery. Prosecutors said Killick used money from new clients to pay for previous work, running what they described as a “Ponzi scheme.” He also failed to pay suppliers and subcontractors and spent some of the cash on personal expenses, including gambling.

During sentencing, several victims spoke of the severe financial and emotional toll the fraud had taken on them.

One victim said the loss of around £75,000 ($101,000) was “unbearable and it’s something that haunts me every day”. He said he had to extend his mortgage to pay for the services of another contractor to complete the unfinished work.

Another victim, who lost around £17,000 ($23,000), said: “My husband was due to retire soon due to ill health, unfortunately due to Killick’s criminal actions he can no longer do so. »

Several victims said they were forced to leave their homes because unfinished construction work made their properties uninhabitable.

One victim told the court: “The worst part was that he kept lying to us, making endless false promises, giving false excuses and demanding more money for himself. He knew, furthermore, that by doing so he was endangering the health and safety of our children. He knew that our damaged flat roof at the back was about to collapse, and he knew that he was above my bedroom. son, where he sleeps.”

Another said: “We don’t have as much confidence in ourselves anymore. We both had senior jobs before we retired and thought we were good at judging people. When we found out Killick had previous convictions for similar crimes, we realized we were dealing with a very intelligent, professional and capable criminal… Our financial loss means we might have less security for ourselves in old age and less to pass on to our children and grandchildren. As we live off our pensions, we are less able to compensate for our financial losses.

Another victim described living for months without a functioning kitchen, saying: “I was living with all the contents of my kitchen in my living room, holes in the walls and floor and no kitchen equipment for four months with no visibility of when it would be done, and it was always ‘next week’…I had to use my bathtub and sink to wash dishes for weeks and weeks and it was all incredibly frustrating and stressful. Then I found out I wouldn’t have a kitchen rebuilt, and with all the money gone, I was visibly upset.

Mark Killick “a master of deception”

Detective Constable Charlotte Suter, the officer in charge of the case, said in the press release: “Mark Killick defrauded dozens of his clients by taking huge sums of money from them while knowing he would not use their money to do the work he promised them.

“The financial impact of his crimes is clear, estimated at around £1.25 million. We are seeking to recover what we can through the Proceeds of Crime Act.

“Construction projects are stressful times, even when they go according to plan, so it’s difficult to put into words what Killick’s victims experienced.

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

The court also heard Killick had a history of similar offending. Between 2008 and 2014, he was twice investigated and prosecuted for construction fraud, including in 2008 under the name Killick and again in 2014 under the name Mark Jenkins. He was also declared bankrupt in the 2000s.

In January 2019 he changed his name by deed poll to Marc Cole and subsequently established TD Cole Ltd. Prosecutors said that made it much harder for potential clients to learn about his past when they searched for him online.

DC Suter said: “Mark Killick was a master of deception who spoke to convince trusted people that he was legitimate.

“Basically, he’s a serial fraudster who took people’s money and lied to them repeatedly.”

Killick was sentenced to 14 years in prison. Once released, he will also face a 15-year ban on running a business and a serious crime prevention order for five years.

Lead Investigating Officer DI Hadley Rides said: “This finding is the culmination of an exhaustive, multi-agency investigation lasting three years.

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

“Over the course of the five-month trial, our fraud and financial investigators combed through a complex web of bank records and aliases. Their dedication to tracing multiple bank transfers and debunking the defendant’s narrative as an ‘honest businessman’ was instrumental in securing these 37 guilty verdicts.”

Featured image: Avon and Somerset Police via press release

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