BBC TV builder who fixes cowboys' botched jobs wins £500k court fight after he ... trends now
A TV builder who helped victims of cowboy traders on a hit BBC show has won a £500,000 court fight after his company was accused of botched work for a millionaire widow, including fitting a shower too small to get under, a toilet that didn't flush properly and leaving a boot print in the paintwork.
Paul Shanahan, managing director of Greystoke Builders Ltd, played a key role in nine episodes of BBC's Cowboy Trap, in which he was called in to salvage jobs undertaken by rogue operators.
But he ended up in court himself when his company was accused by African studies academic Dr Zohor Aylwin of leaving multiple defects at her £1.2million home.
She alleged the issues occurred during a £113,000 revamp at her home.
After a trial at Mayor and City County Court, Judge Nicholas Parfitt KC threw out Dr Aylwin's claim and ordered her to stump up £36,760 to cover the costs of the work.
Dr Zohor Aylwin (right) had accused Greystoke Builders Ltd of botched work at her £1.2million home in Watford, but her claims were thrown out at Mayor and City County Court
Paul Shanahan, managing director of Greystoke Builders Ltd, played a key role in nine episodes of BBC's Cowboy Trap, in which he was called in to salvage jobs undertaken by rogue operators - but ended up fighting claims against his company in court
But she could end up paying considerably more, with a decision on what proportions of the £460,000 lawyers' bills each side will pay to be made at a later date.
He said there was no evidence the toilet didn't work, the shower fitting had been provided by Dr Aylwin, and that the boot print would have easily been solved in snagging.
Judge Parfitt said many of the alleged 'defects' would have been picked up at the end of the work, but that Dr Aylwin had not engaged in a 'sensible snagging process' after the parties fell out.
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'.
But his company ended up in a legal fight with the Moroccan culture expert after Greystoke carried out the revamp on her home in the Oaks, Watford, in 2019.
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The case began when Mr Shanahan's company sued Dr Aylwin for unpaid invoices totalling about £44,000, with her then suing the company in return over an alleged series of defects in the work.
Her barrister, Ashley Pratt, said her complaints included sub-standard paintwork, including a step 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
