A COWBOY electrician from Tottenham who fitted more than 1,500 homes with an illegal supply has escaped jail today.

Crooked Derek Brown, 45, of Hamilton Close, used the knowledge he had amassed during his time as an EDF Energy Networks employee to defraud the system.

Brown had resigned from his job in 2002 but officers found company equipment, a uniform and ledgers detailing all the addresses he had worked at since leaving gainful employment.

He had fitted more than 1,500 homes in Stroud Green, Tottenham and Wood Green, with illegal connection which are still being investigated by his previous employers and the police.

His scam came to an end on July 12, 2008, after Haringey police were tipped off about a man working in a hole in Kitchener Road, south Tottenham, and tampering with the electricity.

Brown was caught in action by officers who made checks with EDF and found the handyman was a former employee and had no authority to be carrying out any such work.

He was arrested on the spot and police later discovered £28,000 in cash stashed in his home.

DC Kerry Burgess, of Haringey CID, said: “We believe Brown was carrying out work for houses being converted into flats and splitting the connection from the mains in order to allow each property to have a separate supply.

"The landlords claimed they weren't aware because the work had been arranged by contractors who now have the inconvenience of having to arrange for the illegal services to be removed and new services to be properly and safely installed."

"It is a criminal offence to interfere with the electrical mains network and poses a huge safety risk to those who do so as well as to those who are left to live with the results. A financial investigation will be carried out under the Proceeds of Crime Act to ensure that Brown does not profit from his crime."

Brown appeared at Wood Green Crown Court, in Lordship Lane, today after pleaded guilty to 10 counts of criminal damage at an earlier hearing between 2004 and 2008.

He has been sentenced to 150 hours unpaid community service to be carried out over the coming year, a suspended sentence of 8 months imprisonment and faces a financial investigation and confiscation hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

David Shepherd, head of security for EDF Energy added: "When the police received information in July 2008 that somebody was tampering with the electricity supply, we worked together with the investigating team to help establish what had been happening. We are currently working to complete the restoration and repair of equipment so that people will have safe and reliable power supplies in future.

"It is important to stress that Derek Brown resigned from his role with EDF Energy Networks in 2002, and these offences relate to a later period."

A confiscation hearing is due to take place on October 29 at Wood Green Crown Court.