JURORS have retired to consider whether a businessman is guilty of defrauding companies and contractors out of more than a quarter of a million pounds.

Llion Wyn Thomas, of Erw Goch, Morfa Bychan, is accused of acquiring goods and services worth a total of £263,000 through an alleged “front” company Golden Contractors Ltd.

The 41-year-old has been on trial at Caernarfon Crown Court since Monday, 25 January, charged with conspiracy to defraud a number of complainants between 1 August 2011 and 14 January 2013.

The contractor and property developer is alleged to have used Golden Contractors Ltd to acquire plant, materials and services from a variety of companies including Plumb Centre, Brandon Tool Hire, HSS Hire, Cemex UK, Aer Cymru, Strickland Direct, Winstanley Group, Spanwright UK, Evans and Reid, ProPaint and Ewe Plumbing.

His co-accused Adam Roberts, a convicted cocaine dealer from Caernarfon, has pleaded guilty to the fraud charge.

The 33-year-old, who was jailed for eight years in 2015 for his role as part of a 26-strong drugs gang, was the named director of Golden Contractors Ltd and carried out work on properties belonging to Thomas at Penrhyndeudraeth, Groeslon, Penmaenmawr, Bethesda and Llangefni.

Prosecutor Jayne La Grua told jurors that Golden Contractors Ltd was a front for the fraud operation, claiming it enabled Thomas to keep his own company LWT Construction Ltd clean while acquiring goods and services without any intention of paying for them.

She said the two companies were part of the same scam and that Roberts was essentially working full-time for Thomas.

“Golden Contractors, from the get-go, was a vehicle for fraud,” she said. “It wasn’t trading with anybody else; it was only trading with LWT Construction.

“It was running up bills left, right and centre, largely for goods that are going to the benefit of Mr Thomas or his construction company.”

Miss La Grua also alleged that Thomas provided Roberts and Golden Contractors Ltd with false references claiming he was happy to give him a credit account worth thousands of pounds in order to give the new company credibility.

She said: “These two men were in it together. It is no coincidence; it is not bad luck [on Thomas’ part] that this happened again and again. The person who stood to gain most from this is standing in the dock.”

Defending, Jason MacAdam told jurors his client was a well-respected businessman who had himself been caught up in a fraud perpetrated by his co-accused Roberts.

He said that documentation demonstrated that Thomas was making payments to Golden Contractors Ltd but that Roberts was not using that money to pay his creditors.

Thomas paid out more than he ever got back, Mr MacAdam said, and the contractor also made sure all his debts to local businesses were fully paid when he had to dissolve LWT Construction Ltd.

His client’s behaviour was the opposite of what would be expected from a fraudster, he said, adding: “He started out on a small scale and ended up with a lot of properties. He had a good trading history, the sort of reputation that was valued. This man has been taken for a ride, just as much as any supplier.”

Jury deliberations began on Wednesday morning.