"Watch out for anybody trying to pressurise you."
June Brown was an iconic British actress who was famous for playing Dot Branning in BBC’s EastEnders.
However, it transpired that she faced a con when she was alive but remained unaware of it.
A gang of men, proclaiming to work in home improvement, hired June Brown to advertise their business.
The group offered services from Yorkshire and Derbyshire and claimed to be part of a government energy efficient scheme.
It is alleged that they swindled over £1 million from their victims. They used fake names to hide their true identities.
They also secured business by misinterpretation and delivered defective services.
According to Trading Standards, they tricked customers into paying substantial deposits for substandard work.
Two of the men convicted of the crime were Zulkernan Mahmood, aged 36, and Rehan Yousaf, aged 47. Both are from Bradford, West Yorkshire.
They admitted fraudulent trading and participating in a fraudulent business.
Also convicted of this was 37-year-old Jonathan O’Grady of Bridlington, East Yorkshire.
David Goody, aged 54, from Bradford, also admitted participating in a fraudulent business.
The men were sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on Friday, December 13, 2024.
The chairman of National Trading Standards, Lord Michael Bichard, said:
“These men left many people with extensive remedial work required at their homes.
“Some were left living in structurally unstable properties with no viable means of repairing the damage done due to the financial losses they incurred.
“This sentencing follows a lengthy investigation by Trading Standards officers, and I would like to extend my gratitude to them for their hard work in bringing this gang to justice.
“We urge consumers to stay vigilant about home improvement scams – watch out for anybody trying to pressurise you into parting with your money and always seek advice from trusted friends and family members.
“Criminals are always seeking new ways to exploit people’s concerns for their own gain, and with many people considering making their homes more energy efficient, these types of scams remain a real threat.
“If you or someone you know has been a victim of fraud, please report it to the Citizens Advice consumer service helpline by calling 0808 223 1133.”
Mahmood was jailed for six years and four months. He was also given a 10-year criminal behaviour order and was disqualified from being a director for 14 years.
Meanwhile, Yousaf was sentenced to two years and six months.
This term will run consecutively with a sentence of seven years and 11 months that he is currently serving.
O’Grady was handed a two-year suspended sentence and ordered to complete 220 hours of unpaid work.
Like Mahmood, he was also disqualified from directorial opportunities but for a shorter period of six years.
Goody was ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and disqualified from being a director for three years.
June Brown began playing Dot in EastEnders in the show’s first year – 1985.
She played the role continuously until 1993 when she decided to quit the show.
She was reintroduced to the serial drama in 1997 and remained in the show until she abruptly departed permanently in January 2020.
June Brown passed away on April 3, 2022, at the age of 95.
Her character was subsequently killed off in EastEnders and Dot’s funeral aired in the episode broadcast on December 12, 2022.
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