Ryan Macdonald was going house-to-house in the area to ask if people needed any work completingDan Haygarth Liverpool Daily Post Editor and Regeneration Reporter
15:44, 24 Oct 2025
Ryan Macdonald, 41(Image: Cheshire Police)
A rogue trader conned an elderly man out of more than £10,000 after offering to fix his side gate but made it unfit for purpose, while dumping rubbish in his garden. Ryan Macdonald, 41, attended the victim’s address in Ellesmere Port on December 17, 2024, after going house-to-house in the area and asking if he needed any work completing.
The victim, aged 81, initially declined the offer but was then talked into having the arch above his side gate fixed. Between late December 2024 and early January 2025, Macdonald returned to complete the work accompanied by several others but left the gate with no handle and only fixed it with two hinges, meaning it was not fit for purpose.
The drain outside had also been disconnected by digging up part of the patio and was replaced with incorrect piping. Rubbish and rubble were dumped in the victim’s garden and not collected, meaning it was not usable.
Overall, the victim paid a total of £10,500 to Macdonald for work which was not completed, or completed to an incredibly poor standard. The victim contacted his MP to report the issue, who in turn reported the matter to officers in Ellesmere Port.
Following enquiries, Macdonald was arrested and a search of his property uncovered paperwork linking him to numerous companies of a similar nature, all of which had been dissolved and re-branded. Macdonald Paving Driveways Patios Pathways was his latest venture.
Just one month before he defrauded the victim in this case, he was convicted of a previous offence in which he agreed to clear an elderly lady’s gutter of leaves and took £4,750 from her after initially agreeing to charge her £20. On that occasion he received an 18-month suspended sentence.
Following his most recent arrest, Macdonald was charged with fraud. For this offence, the 41-year-old pleaded guilty to one count of fraud by false representation.
Macdonald, of Cambridge Road, Ellesmere Port, was handed a 34-month sentence at Chester Crown Court on October 21, 2025.
Detective Constable Martyn Smith-Aldous said: “Despite Macdonald previously being convicted of a similar offence against an elderly individual and being spared prison on that occasion, he did not reflect on his actions.
“Instead, just one month later, he decided to target another victim, this time charging an extortionate amount of money for very poor or non-existent work.
“Macdonald thought he could prey on people to make a gain for himself, not counting on his victim speaking out about how he had conned him out of thousands of pounds.
“I hope this case serves as a reminder to people to report any similar offences if they believe they have fallen victim to fraud. You can report information online or by calling 101.”
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