A Hunter landscaper was sentenced to 18 months in jail for persistently carrying out unlicensed residential building work.

Peter Todd Garay, from New Lambton Heights, was sentenced in the Supreme Court today and will serve six months jail in Long Bay with the remaining 12 months subject to parole conditions.

Fair Trading Minister Virginia Judge welcomed the Court’s decision.

“Peter Garay is a serial offender who has shown complete disregard for the law,” she said.

“He has left a trail of unhappy customers who have lost thousands of dollars.

“In 2003, he was ordered to stop carrying out building related activities, including residential building, after he was caught operating unlicensed.

“He repeatedly ignored the court order, and continued to tout for residential building work in the Hunter region including Singleton, Toronto and Wattle Ponds.

“In 2005, he was convicted of four charges of contempt for breaching the 2003 court order and was sentenced to a non-parole period of eight months, served by periodic detention.

“Three years later, in 2008, further court action was commenced after investigations revealed Mr Garay was still flouting the law.”

Ms Judge said Mr Garay’s sentence should serve as a strong warning for traders who are doing the wrong thing.

“The harsh reality of Mr Garay’s illegal behavior is that he is now serving time behind bars,” she said.

“Fair Trading investigators have been working hard to ensure that Mr Garay does not continue to carry out unlicensed building, so today is a great win for consumers.

“My message to traders is simple: if you do the wrong thing you will get caught.”

Unlicensed traders who are caught carrying out building work can face fines of up to $22,000 for an individual or up to $110,000 for a company.

Checking a trader’s licence can be done online at this website or call 13 32 20.

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