A devastated son has revealed how his family's life was "ruined" by a fraudulent workman's roofing scam, which ultimately forced him to relocate his parents into a care home. Paul McArdle, 52, paid thousands of pounds to William Watt to mend a leak in the roof of his parents' Port Glasgow home.

However, after conducting a minor repair, Watt vanished without completing the job and pocketed the money. Last June, Watt was ordered by Greenock Sheriff Court to pay £2,760 in compensation within a year after admitting to theft following the incident in October 2021. Paul had moved back in with his parents when his mother, Patricia, was diagnosed with dementia about five years ago. His father, James, was also later diagnosed with dementia and passed away last October.

At the time of his father's death, Watt hadn't repaid any of the compensation, with the first payment of £500 only made in January. Paul, who still resides in the property where the roof remains unfixed, said that due to Watt's failure to complete the repairs, he was forced to move his elderly parents into a care home. He stated: "The ceiling had partially collapsed and there was water seeping through the light fitting in my room. He wanted the money up front for materials and said it would be done within a week."

Paul, devastated by the ordeal of placing his parents in a care home due to the deteriorating state of their roof, has spoken out about the emotional toll it took on his family. He recounted his persistent efforts to get the repairs done: "I kept calling him, telling him how bad it was. Then by December I'd had enough and asked for my money back."

The situation escalated to the point where police got involved, leading to charges against Watt. Paul expressed the heartache of the decision he faced: "Putting my parents in a care home is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do," and detailed the personal impact: "This court case had a massive impact on them and had a massive impact on me."

He revealed his struggle with mental health issues, saying, "I'm suffering with depression, stress and anxiety. For a long time I was adamant that they weren't going to go in a care home." Despite the move, Paul's father still held onto hope: "I visited him just after he had been diagnosed," Paul continued, "and he asked 'how was the roof damage?'" His mother's reaction during visits is equally heart-wrenching: "My mum still recognises me and she cries when I visit her and she cries when I leave. It breaks my heart."

Paul has been enduring a lack of hot water due to damage to the boiler from a leaking roof, forcing him to sleep in the living room to avoid the dampness in his bedroom. He's now employed at a tech firm and is aiming to save enough money by year's end to repair the roof and make it secure against the elements.

"When a case calls in court," Paul expressed, "people don't know the full story of the emotional impact on the victims. He gave this sob story that he was so ashamed. So why didn't he come up and fix the roof for free?" Paul questioned, reflecting on the defendant's courtroom behaviour. Watt has a remaining two months to finish paying the compensation owed.

At the sentencing hearing last June, Watt's solicitor, Gerry Keenan, conveyed that his client, standing trial as a first-time offender, was "very remorseful" and eager "anxious to make restitution so that the complainer is not out of pocket". Beyond the compensation, Watt was also sentenced to 135 hours of unpaid work and placed under social work supervision for a year.