A cowboy builder who charged vulnerable pensioners up to 20 times more than they should have paid for work on their homes has been jailed . Ronald Connors charged on woman £140,000 for work that should only have cost just £6,000 at her home in Rhiwbina , Cardiff . Cardiff Crown Court heard he lavished the money on new cars - including a £32,000 Range Rover . Ronald Connors charged on woman £140,000 for work that should only have cost just £6,000 at her home in Rhiwbina , Cardiff . His victims also included an 80-year-old woman from Whitchurch and a man aged 60 from Porthcawl with mental health issues . A judge yesterday told the father-of-five , from Newport , that he was a 'thoroughly dishonest businessman ' as he jailed him for 15 months . He said it would have been longer had Connors , 39 , who admitted three charges of aggressive business practice , not paid all of the money back . Prosecutor Lee Reynolds said : 'He was a rogue trader preying on the elderly and the vulnerable , charging them extortionate prices for substandard work and sometimes for work not done at all . 'One woman was charged 20 times the value and the other , 10 times . 'The third person did n't hand over any money but became upset and almost buckled under the aggressive behaviour from the defendant . ' The work in Rhiwbina took place over many months with the victim in the end having difficulty in recalling all the jobs her workmen claimed to have done . Mr Reynolds told the court : 'It all started with weeds growing through the block paving in her drive and her being told there were problems underneath . Cardiff Crown Court heard he lavished the money on new cars - including a £32,000 Range Rover . Pictured is his luxury home . 'She was given a quote for £6,000 which she agreed to pay but as the work was being done , some rendering fell off and they offered to re-render for £15,000 . 'Then there was a wobbly window in her garage and the garage ended up being almost rebuilt and she was told there was damp . 'They looked in her loft and gutters and weather boards were replaced . 'By that time she had paid about £70,000 to £90,000 - she says she lost track and told the police 'they just kept finding things to do ' . ' Mr Reynolds said : 'She paid out £52,000 in February 2012 and that month Ronald Connors bought a £32,000 Range Rover and in March a Ford Fiesta costing £10,000 . ' In 2011 , his other elderly victim paid Connors cheques totalling £22,000 for work valued at £2,000 . A judge yesterday told the father-of-five , from Newport , that he was a 'thoroughly dishonest businessman ' as he jailed him for 15 months . Mr Reynolds said : 'The inside of her flat did need redecorating but when it was viewed later , the work which included damp-proofing , fitting lighting and two heaters was valued at £1,900 to £2,000.She had paid 10 times the true value . ' In Porthcawl , a neighbour was looking out for the 60-year-old who had already been targeted by cold callers . Mr Reynolds said that when he was given a quote from Connors to tidy up his garden , alarm bells rang . 'He was advised to cancel the agreed quote for £7,000 , his neighbour helped him write a letter which was posted by recorded delivery but a few days later the defendant turned up saying he was going to do the work . 'He was aggressive , threatening and abusive . ' Henry Hughes , defending , said Connors had no previous convictions and had built up his business since the age of 18 . But at the time he was under financial pressure and sub-contracted jobs to others , not realising the work they were doing was deficient . 'He thought it was being done properly ' Mr Hughes told the judge . 'He had no idea it was of poor standard . He now accepts he was too aggressive in his practises . ' The court heard claims that Connors had taken out a bridging loan to repay the victims and that had cost him £30,000 . Recorder George Bull QC told Connors : 'You are a thoroughly dishonest businessman preying on people and you chose your victims carefully and it was going on over a period of time . It was despicable conduct and you should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself . ' Connors was ordered to pay the £18,832 cost of his prosecution by Cardiff council . A Criminal Behaviour Order also bans him from canvassing the elderly door-to-door in future . Speaking after the hearing , Cardiff cabinet member Councillor De'Ath said : 'Our key priority was to recover the money that had been conned from Ronald Connors ' victims and I am pleased this has been successful . 'The sentence should also send a strong message to all rogue traders that we will investigate all complaints made , with a view to recover the proceeds of their crimes and prosecute them through the courts . '
Ronald dealers preyed on old and vulnerable , Cardiff complaints were heard . One woman was charged 20 times the value and the other , 10 pounds . He lavished the money on new dealers - including a £ 32,000 Range bonus . A police jailed the ' thoroughly dishonest businessman ' for 15 months .