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A builder who defrauded many customers from about £1.25 million ($1.69 million) was sentenced to 14 years in prison after a court heard he used some of the money to his gambling habit is over.
Mark Killick, 56, from Paulton in England, who also goes by the name Marc Cole, was found guilty of 37 counts of fraud by false representation after a 14-week trial at Bristol Crown Court.
A rogue builder who defrauded dozens of customers out of an estimated £1.25million has been jailed for 14 years.
Mark Killick was found guilty of 37 counts of fraud by false representation after a 14-week trial at Bristol Crown Court.
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– Avon and Somerset Police (@ASPolice) December 23, 2025
Operating under the business name TD Cole Ltd, Killick took large upfront payments for construction work that had not been completed or, in many cases, had not even begun. The fraud took place between 2019 and 2021 and is being investigated by Avon and Somerset Police together with Bristol City Council’s Trading Standards team.
Builder committed fraud to fund personal spending and gambling habits
Jurors were told the scale of the scam was similar to winning the lottery. Prosecutors explained that Killick used money from new customers to pay for previous jobs, running what they described as a “Ponzi scheme.” He also failed to pay suppliers and contractors and spent some of the money on personal expenses, including gambling.
During the sentencing, several victims spoke about the serious financial and emotional toll the fraud had on them.
One victim said the loss of approximately £75,000 ($101,000) was “unbearable and something that haunts me every day.” He said he had to extend his loan to pay another contractor to finish the unfinished work.
Another victim, who lost about £17,000 ($23,000), said: “My husband is about to retire due to some health issues, unfortunately because of Killick’s criminal actions he can no longer do it.”
Many victims said they were forced to leave their homes because unfinished construction work left nothing to do with their properties.
One victim told the court: “The worst thing is that he just keeps telling us lies, making endless false promises, giving fake excuses, and asking for more money for himself. He knows, moreover, by doing this, that he is endangering the health and safety of our children. He knows that our damaged flat roof in the backyard is about to collapse where he sleeps on top of my son. that man, and he knew that he was sleeping on top.”
Another said: “We no longer feel as confident in ourselves, as we did. We both had responsible jobs before we retired and thought we could judge people well. When we discovered that Killick had been convicted of similar crimes, we realized that we were dealing with a very skilled, professional, and capable criminal… Our financial loss meant that there was little security for us in our old age and our grandchildren’s lives are not enough to make up for our financial losses.”
A further victim described living for months without a kitchen, saying: “I lived with the whole contents of my kitchen in my lounge, holes in the walls and floor and no cooking facilities for four months with no line in sight of when it would be done, and it was always ‘next week’… I had to use my shower and bathroom sink for washing up for weeks and weeks and the whole thing was unbelievable. and I can’t feel it. A kitchen that’s been rebuilt, and with all the money that’s been spent, I’m obviously depressed.”
Mark Killick ‘a master of deception’
Detective Constable Charlotte Suter, the case officer, said in press release: “Mark Killick defrauded twelve customers by taking large sums of money from them while knowing that he would not use their money to do the work he promised them.
“The financial impact of his crimes is clearly worth around £1.25million. We are looking to recover what we can through the Proceeds of Crime Act.
“Construction projects are stressful times, even if they plan everything, so it’s hard to say how Killick’s victims are doing.
“This has led to countless sleepless nights for them, as well as adversely affecting their health and future plans. Although no sentence can undo the damage it has caused, we hope they can be relieved by Killick’s prison sentence.”
The court also heard that Killick had a history of similar offences. Between 2008 and 2014, he was investigated and prosecuted twice for fraud related to construction work, including convictions 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 later set up TD Cole Ltd. Prosecutors said this made it difficult for potential customers to uncover his past when he searched online.
DC Suter said: “Mark Killick is a master fraud who talks the talk to convince people that he is legitimate.
“In reality he is a serial fraudster who has taken people’s money and lied to them over and over again.”
Killick was sentenced to 14 years in prison. He will also face a 15-year ban from being a company director and a five-year Serious Crime Prevention Order once he is released.
Senior Investigating Officer DI Hadley Rides said: “This result is the culmination of a thorough, multi-agency three-year investigation.
“We would like to thank our colleagues 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 bank records and alias names. Their dedication to tracking numerous bank transfers and debunking the defendant’s ‘honest businessman’ story helped secure 37 guilty verdicts.”
Featured image: Avon and Somerset Police via press release
The post Builder jailed for 14 years after $1.69M fraud funding gambling addiction case first appeared in ReadWrite.
