An East Cambridgeshire property developer has been found guilty of providing fake building work completion certificates for a residential project.

Wayne Murfet, who was boss of Lors Homes, supplied 36 fake Building Control Completion Certificates to purchasers of flats on The Grosvenor complex in Newmarket High Street.  

In a case brought by Suffolk Trading Standards, Colchester Magistrates Court heard the certificates were supplied to purchasers of the flats.  

A Suffolk County Council press release outlining the case explains West Suffolk Council Building Control alerted Trading Standards to the situation in 2019. 

The certificates were similar to the ones issued by building control - but had not been issued by the department. 

The buyers therefore purchased their properties believing they had been formally signed off. 

Since the discovery, a West Suffolk Building Control inspection found breaches of building regulations and fire safety concerns with the building. 

As a result, a 24-hour waking watch had to be installed in the building. 

The court heard the building had since been sold by the developer and West Suffolk Building Control was collaborating with the new owners to rectify the issues. 

During the investigation, it then emerged a further false building control completion certificate had been supplied by Murfet to a purchaser of a property in Cambridgeshire through another company of his called Murfet (Burrough Green) Limited. 

Murfet, 41, of Freckenham Road, Chippenham, denied 14 counts of dishonestly and intending to make a gain by failing to disclose information to the purchaser which he was under a legal duty to disclose.  

He also denied two counts of making or supplying an article for use in fraud contrary to section 7 of the Fraud Act 2006.  

Murfet was found guilty on July 17. Sentencing is scheduled for October 1, 2024.