Two Maidstone men jailed for £55,000 roofing scam targeting elderly Canterbury couple

Benjamin Kelly and John Cassidy pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation at Canterbury Crown Court after persuading a couple in their eighties to pay for unnecessary roofing and building work.

Benjamin Kelly, 24, and John Cassidy, 53, both of Plains Avenue, Maidstone, have been jailed after defrauding an elderly Canterbury couple of close to £55,000. Kelly was sentenced to three years in prison and Cassidy to three years and four months, following guilty pleas to fraud by false representation at Canterbury Crown Court.

The pair attended the victims’ home in the St Stephen’s area of Canterbury without invitation on 27 August 2025, initially offering to repair loose ridge tiles for £40. They then persuaded the couple, both in their eighties, to agree to progressively more extensive work, telling them the property had structural damage linked to its proximity to a railway line. According to Kent Police, the work was unnecessary. The defendants collected cheques from the victims while other men carried out the work on site.

Kent Police received a report about suspicious men at the property on 29 September 2025 and later launched an investigation. The defendants had returned to the address repeatedly, escalating their proposals from minor roof repairs to a full roof replacement and extensive groundwork.

Kent Police advised residents not to engage with unsolicited doorstep traders, to seek independent advice before authorising any work, to check traders’ credentials and to obtain several written quotations from reputable companies.

Key information

Do not agree to work offered by unsolicited doorstep callers.
Always obtain multiple written quotations from reputable, independently verified traders before commissioning home repairs.
If you suspect rogue trading activity, report it to Kent Police.

Source: @kent_police

Published: 20 October 2026