Cops brushed off screen-fitter scam complaints

(CNS): Garfield Robb, who was allegedly trading illegally as a screen and shutter fitter, is accused of conning at least a dozen clients out of thousands of dollars after failing to do work that he had agreed to do, such as building screened patios and fitting hurricane shutters. According to the crown’s case, Robb, who is facing charges of obtaining property by deception, was first reported to the police around 2015, but the RCIPS declined to act, enabling him to con many more victims over the next six years.

The court heard that people had lost as much as $6,000 to Robb, and even though some had hassled him until they were able to get some money back, they were still left hundreds of dollars out of pocket. One witness said she had taken a government-backed loan of CI$3,500, which she had to pay back with interest, for the shutters she wanted on her home. Six years on, Robb still owes her CI$1,600 but has never done any work on her home, she said.

Robb, originally from Jamaica, appeared in court Thursday before Justice Frank Williams, who is hearing the case without a jury. He is represented by defence attorney Crister Brady.

As the crown opened the case against him, the prosecutor said that for most of the period that he had deceived his customers, Robb had been working without a trade and business licence, and had deliberately and dishonestly taken money from people for work he knew he would not or could not complete.

The court heard how Robb would take either half or all of the quoted cost for a job up-front, which he said was for the materials, and would then fob off the clients with excuses about the delays to the work getting started. His customers waited for months for shutters that he claimed were ordered from Miami but never came.

In some cases, he delivered bits of what witnesses described as “secondhand” screens and materials, hinting that the job was about to start, but then disappeared. In other cases, he delivered some material only to return later and take it away again.

The court was told that in each case, Robb would give excuses about why he had not started the work, constantly promising he would start the next day but never did. Some customers who concluded that he was never going to do the work hounded him for a refund and managed to claw back some of the cash. If they were persistent, he would pay back small amounts of cash piecemeal.

One North Side resident who had asked Robb to fit hurricane shutters said that Robb was nothing but “a bag of breezes” who was “telling lies on lies”.

Witnesses gave evidence about how difficult it was to get the money from him but when they went to the police, they were all told that it was a civil matter. While some tried to get their money back through the courts, they abandoned their efforts due to the challenges of doing so. Others said they did not know how to make a small claim on their own and could not afford a lawyer.

Robb has denied all of the charges. As Brady cross-examined witnesses, he accused them of cancelling the jobs after making agreements for the work because they had changed their minds or found a cheaper deal.

The witnesses dismissed those suggestions. Many of the complainants had kept the messages they had sent to and received from Robb, which set out the chain of events, including their efforts to get him to do the jobs he had promised to do and their attempts to get a refund when he didn’t. These were passed on to police, who eventually began to investigate the case in 2021.

However, the RCIPS only became involved after dozens of victims who had reported their concerns to the RCIPS and had been told by officers that it was not a criminal matter then told their stories of being conned to Cayman Marl Road. The issue became the subject of host Sandy Hill’s morning vlog show and eventually led to a full investigation.

The case continues.