TV builder who salvaged ‘cowboy’ jobs for BBC accused of poor work himself, court hears

A BBC television builder who helped salvage cowboy jobs is accused of leaving a boot print in paint work at the home of a millionaire’s widow.

Paul Shanahan, managing director of Greystoke Builders Ltd, played a key role during nine episodes of the BBC’s Cowboy Trap, in which he was called in to salvage “disasters” and botched building jobs done by unscrupulous rogue operators.

He is currently facing claims from African studies academic Dr Zohor Aylwin that his workers left multiple defects behind after a £100,000 revamp at her £1.2 million house.

The widow claims there was a “boot print of the company’s employee” in paintwork, a toilet that wouldn’t flush and a shower that was too low to get under.

The company is denying the “alleged but unsubstantiated defects” and demanding £50,200 in unpaid bills for the work, in a case that has totted up £460,000 in lawyers’ bills.

In online promotional material for Greystoke, Mr Shanahan describes “working with BBC1 as the good guys on the Cowboy Trap – going in and rectifying the disasters previous builders have left”.

Greystoke carried out a £100,000 revamp on Dr Aylwin’s home in the Oaks, Watford, in 2019.

The case began when Mr Shanahan’s company sued Dr Aylwin for unpaid invoices totalling £50,200, with her then suing the company in return over an alleged series of defects in the work.

Her barrister, Ashley Pratt, told Judge Nicholas Parfitt KC at Mayors and City County Court that she has a number of complaints about the quality of the building project – ranging from the cost of replacing a boiler, sub-standard paintwork including one surface being marked with a “boot print of the company’s employee”, problems with the newly fitted kitchen, and a toilet that failed to flush.

“The shower was clearly too short to fit under and was clearly unsuitable,” he added, also claiming there were “fittings defects for the dishwasher”, problems with the kitchen electrics, defective tiles in an en-suite bedroom – as well as “gross over-charging” when installing sliding doors in a bedroom.

Dr Aylwin is disputing the unpaid bills claim, saying there were multiple defects in the work done which effectively “extinguish” the building company’s £50,200 bill.

Dr Aylwin’s barrister further claimed that in Greystoke’s best case the debt owing would only amount to £44,000.

“The invoicing and estimate process was nothing short of shambolic,” he told the court.

Greystoke’s barrister Paul Fisher told the judge: “One of the company’s witnesses and directors, Mr Paul Shanahan, worked as an expert on the BBC television programme Cowboy Trap, in which his team sought to rectify and compete works in residential homes initially undertaken by ‘cowboy’ builders.”

Mr Shanahan was personally engaged in the renovation works at Dr Aylwin’s home, the court heard, and had also negotiated the contract and “scope of works”.

Mr Fisher said the company took on the project in 2019, with Mrs Aylwin’s son, Idris, overseeing the project for his parents.

The company claims the right to recover its £50,200 debt – or alternatively is asking the judge to assess what is due.

Greystoke insists its team did their utmost to carry out a successful overhaul of Dr Aylwin’s home.

Mr Fisher highlighted expert evidence suggesting that “the property had not been maintained to a very high standard prior to the claimant undertaking its works”.

Mr Fisher labelled the case a “relatively simple debt claim which has spiraled out of control by virtue of alleged but unsubstantiated defects that have been raised by the defendants”.

The judge has now reserved his decision.