Plasterer threatening me over final bill- advice and support please

Littleroggy

Long story, but our plasterer finished up a few weeks ago after doing work on our whole house. He then proceeded to start decorating on my ask, and after tackling a room and a half disappeared for a week. During his decorating I pointed out quite a few issues with plaster that werent rectified (could only see with mist coat), and while I was out he ignored and proceeded to slap two cans of farrow and ball on the walls. Mentioned issues to him, and after pestering him to return he came back on the saturday promising to resolve, only to spend 2 hours sanding the ceiling and then leave sating im back wednesday. At this point I fired him, given i was not happy with work, and he was not committing time to get my job over the line despite promising too. He then left tools at my house for nearly two weeks before collecting, after lots of chasing from me.

Anyway, last night, and 5 days on from getting tools, he sends a message at midnight demanding an extra £5400 for work. We have already paid £5000 for 8 rooms (including double living room and upstairs/downstairs hallway), and were shocked that he hadnt explained this extra amount was coming any earlier. The rate he was working on was £500 a room, plus £200 for plasterboarding (2 rooms plus hallway ceilings), and extra for rendering and bonding, that wasnt priced (my bad).

On asking him to break down the cost, he went absolutely ballistic and has sent threatening voice messages to me this morning with millions of offensives. It didnt help that my dad told him he wouldnt pay another penny in response to his first message!

To get this resolved and avoid a nutter pestering me or worse, I have looked at what he has done, gone through the deets and offered £1300 to end the matter. He is yet to respond.

My question to you all is how you would handle the situation. I really do not want to give him full whack, especially given the threats and bad job, but at the same time I dont want intimidation, threats, worse on my doorstep when i have to finish the house and look after my two young kids.

Voyager2002

Personally, I would send him a letter requesting the return of the amount I had already paid on the basis that the work was not of acceptable quality and he had ignored requests to make good defects already noticed. If you find his telephone manner distasteful then block him and make it clear that all communication has to be in writing. Any threats are to be referred to the police.

elsien

Bit late  for that if the OP has already offered him another 1300 quid. 

tacpot12

Do you have home insurance? If so, check to see whether you have legal expenses cover. If you have this cover, you can call the legal helpline for advice. Mediation might be a good solution, but I would definitely be considering calling the Police if he threatens you. You need to make it clear that you want to resolve the issue, but you need him to discuss it rather than threatening you. 

swingaloo

Hope he hasn't put the Farrow and Ball on newly plastered walls.

Littleroggy

Thanks all. I have reported to the police as I am terrified it is going to escalate listening again to the messages I received this morning. They are coming round tomorrow to talk through options but have told me a crime has been committed through the threatening messages I have received. 

He has not replied to my message offering 1300, which I do not mind giving for the work, as I assumed he was owed a little bit more than we paid, bad job or not. This says to me he is going to escalate and rock up and demand payment, and if he does I will call 999. Tbh I am rather shaken by this whole experience, but glad the police are seemingly there to help.

Littleroggy

I do have home insurance, and told him earlier that he is welcome to take legal action against me. Thing is, I know he won't know where to start on this.

ThisIsWeird

Littleroggy said:

I do have home insurance, and told him earlier that he is welcome to take legal action against me. Thing is, I know he won't know where to start on this.

Does it have 'Legal Protection' or expenses included? If so, call them up - it won't cost a penny.
Outline the situation as briefly and succinctly as possible, and ask what to do. 

Littleroggy

I will do so tomorrow. My main concern now is my family's safety 

MysteryMe

Messages at midnight could mean they were sent after a drinking session.  Has he sent any messages since? Hopefully he has seen the error of his ways and the threats have stopped. See what the police say, they may well go and have a word with him. Sounds like the work not paid for is the decorating, rendering and bonding? Presumably the £1300 was for that?  Depends how bad the plastering issues are really. 

Littleroggy

Yes, that's correct on what wasn't paid for. That's why I offered 1300 to cover, with a mind that I could go a little further if he pushed. I don't mind paying for people's time after all, even though every room has issues following the plastering (bumps and holes everywhere, rough textures, corners not straight, lines not right, plaster all over doors etc)

What gets me is he hasn't responded at all. Like you, I wondered if it was an all night bender, though he keeps weird hours normally. He is a heavy weed smoker, so another thought that came to mind was he is heavy in debt and desperately needs cash. The voice notes he sent were deranged