The Crown has accused David Murray and his company, EcoLife Home Improvements, of defrauding several Sudburians who paid for home renovations but received little to no work in return. Testimony from investigator Williams revealed that Murray attributed delays to issues with the GreenON program, yet complaints against him were notably singular compared to other contractors facing similar challenges.
In 2019, former clients staged a protest outside Murray’s business, alleging fraud, which led to him being charged with 35 counts of fraud over $5,000. Williams testified that he repeatedly received complaints about Murray, emphasizing, “If I pay someone a large amount of money and the work doesn’t get done, it’s fraud.” He noted that EcoLife was the only company in Sudbury receiving such complaints despite many contractors facing delivery issues.
Evidence presented included a Scotiabank account where customer payments were deposited, which also showed unrelated transactions, raising suspicions about Murray’s business practices. Some customer funds were allegedly funneled into personal accounts, and multiple bank accounts displayed negative balances, returned checks, and overdraft fees.
During cross-examination, defense attorney Peters questioned whether using a business account for personal expenses was inherently fraudulent, to which Williams acknowledged it was not necessarily a crime. The investigation revealed no checks were made to confirm if other contractors were experiencing similar problems with the GreenON program.
Peters also inquired about early statements from police suggesting the situation was a civil matter rather than criminal. Williams clarified that while he had not made such a statement, it was possible another officer had. He believed there were sufficient grounds for criminal charges, influenced by media coverage and public protests.
Murray’s next court appearance is scheduled for July 4, where defense witnesses are expected to testify.
Jenny Lamothe covers court for Sudbury.com.
