A COWBOY builder who tried to put the frighteners on an old lady after doing shoddy and dangerous work in her garden has been spared jail.

Miles Connors had already driven the 79-year-old to the bank to try and withdraw the money to pay his rip off bill for the work he had done.

When she couldn't get her hands on the cash he sat outside her home with a van load of heavies and repeatedly knocked on the door and shouted through the letter box.

But after hearing the 20-year-old had admitted offences under commercial practices laws which did not involve dishonesty a judge at Swindon Crown Court imposed a suspended sentence.

Robert Weatherley, prosecuting for Wiltshire Council, said that Connors went to the victim's Corsham home after she responded to a flier for company Wiltshire Drives, based in The Citadel, Chippenham.

He was asked to give an estimate for a patio at the semi, where she lived on her own, and told her it would cost £2,200.

Without telling her she had a right to cancel he returned with five men and started to lay the brickwork surface, even though she said she wanted paving slabs.

He then told her that a wall next to patio was not strong enough and said they would build a new one at a total cost of £6,700.

"Not only was the price a shock but the standard of the workmanship was also a surprise," he said.

A few days later he demanded payment, which she said she did not have, and took her to the bank to try and get it.

"He turned up the next day with three men outside asking for his money. The victim was concerned and the police were called."

Mr Weatherley said a surveyor was called in to examine the work and found it was of such poor quality it would cost £3,300 to put it right.

The expert said the photos of the original wall showed it would be stronger than the new one and there was a visible barrier between the two levels of paving that could be dangerous.

He said the case was made worse because the defendant was put on a suspended sentence in southern France last year for very similar offences.

Connors, of Hertfordshire, admitted two counts of engaging in a misleading commercial practice.

Mike Jeary, defending, said his client needed to go to college to learn his trade and become competent.

He said it was also clear he was working under the instructions of someone else, who was in charge.

"It was that person that told him to open a company under a post office box and run it as he did while living near Stevenage, as he was," said Mr Jeary.

Passing sentence Judge Tim Mousley QC said: "You could not have come closer to being charged with offences of dishonesty than you have in this case.

"You are obviously a man who finds it easy to lie for your own benefit. However in sentencing you for these two offences I bear in mind that dishonesty is not an ingredient.

"I am satisfied you would not have stopped what you were doing had she not had the courage to call the police when you were persistently ringing the bell with your friends outside her home.

"You wanted to obtain £6,700 from her. You took her to the bank initially to take the money out. You were not successful.

"Within a day or so you went to her home and you frightened her in the way I have described. The quality of your work was appalling and substandard."

He imposed a 12-month jail term suspended for two years with 300 hours of unpaid work, an education training and employment course and told him to pay £3,300 compensation and £1,500 costs.