A rogue builder has pleaded guilty to fraud following a successful prosecution by Warwickshire County Council’s Trading Standards service.
Builder Patrick Noel Doherty (age 23 years of Salter Street in Earlswood, Solihull) who traded as Shakespeare Driveways & Patios Ltd lied to the couple about the state of their property and undertook work that was overpriced, of poor quality, and in some cases completely unnecessary.
At Warwick Crown Court on Wednesday 27 May 2026, Mr Doherty pleaded guilty to three offences under the Fraud Act 2006. He will be sentenced on Monday 29 June 2026.
Warwickshire County Councillor Robert Gisbourne, Cabinet Member for Fire and?Rescue, Community Safety and Flooding said:
“Warwickshire Trading Standards will continue to take action against rogue traders to protect and support residents across the county. This includes raising awareness of rogue…
THE ISUZU MOTORS PAYROLL FRAUD (GQEBERHA, SA)
Date: February 16, 2026 Perpetrator: Natasja Slabbert (42)
Case Description: In a case that hit home for the Eastern Cape business community, Natasja Slabbert, a payroll administrator at Isuzu Motors South Africa’s Struandale plant, was arrested for an alleged R10.5 million fraud. The scheme, which began surfacing in late 2024, exploited the very systems designed to manage employee compensation. Slabbert allegedly manipulated payroll records to create false entries that appeared as legitimate deductions and contributions on employee payslips. In reality, these “deductions” were being diverted into her personal bank account.
The fraud was only uncovered after diligent employees noticed that their net “take-home” pay was significantly lower than expected, despite the gross amounts on their payslips remaining high. Following a thorough probe by the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team and the NPA’s Specialised Commercial Crime Unit, it was discovered that in August 2024 alone, over R626,000 was unlawfully transferred. Slabbert was granted bail of R5,000 on February 17, 2026, and the case has been postponed to later in the month for further legal proceedings. This case highlights the critical need for “segregation of duties” in payroll departments, as a single point of failure allowed for the systematic siphoning of millions over nearly two years.
Link to Original: PE Express – Isuzu Payroll Fraud