To not sack our window-cleaner?

[Theraininpsain]

The man who used to do our windows recently sold his business to a younger guy. Younger guy has been twice, seems pleasant, and we've had no issues, but I just discovered he's got previous. Don't want to be too specific but there seem to be four offences which involved mugging, a weak attempt at fraud, and violence (punches) to two other men. None of it landed him in jail, he was early 20s at the time, and there's nothing from the past seven years.
I don't particularly want the hassle of finding someone else, especially when he does all the neighbours' windows. I also don't want to punish someone who has possibly turned it around.
At the same time, I feel a bit uncomfortable with the idea of him cleaning while we're on holiday (we don't go that often) and realising the house is empty - even though he doesn't seem to have been caught breaking and entering. Aibu to keep him on?

That security and frequency of hail and he’s had no jail time? 🤔

Severity not security

So

violence
theft
deceit

i wouldn’t want him within a 5 mile radius of my home

How do you even fins that out about a person?

I wouldn't sack him. It sounds like he's made a good attempt at turning his life around if those things were seven years ago and he's managed to buy his own business.

and there's nothing from the past seven years.

that you are aware of
or
that he has been caught doing

I can understand you feeling a little on edge about this OP, but in reality, if you were burgled, the window cleaner would be the first suspect, particularly if he has form, and bearing in mind that it's 7 years since he appears to have committed a crime (or at least one he's been caught for), I think you have to give him the benefit of the doubt.

In some states in the US, convicted for that number of offences and violence involved… he would be serving life!

I wouldn’t sack him unless he’s shit at his job and unreliable.

Do we just never let people move on in life then? He can't have a job or try to make a positive difference in his life because he made mistakes as a young man, which he has gone through the justice system for?

He's cleaning windows, not looking after OP's children.

Fortunately we’re more civilised. He’s turned his life round.

How do you know? Most people don't vet their window cleaner before letting them clean so any of them could be criminals.

How on earth do you know that? Being able to buy a business doesn’t mean you are no longer violent or a thief

I am all for giving people a second chance.

But when it involves convictions for violence and deceit and theft…. Then I’d rather not take the risk. He was given a chance, and then another, and then another, and then another….

Tell him you’ve got a hospital appointment but can he come round and clean anyway.

Good idea.

My window cleaner disappeared for a few years, he was in prison (don’t know what for). He then came back and did our windows for years.
Realistically it was the only work he could do, so good on him (he never went back to prison).

If you feel you have to lie about how long you’ll be gone, then I would say a pretty good indication that you should change the tradesperson you’re using

I am very intrigued how you have come to find out all this OP?

I'd keep him on based purely on those facts. (How do you know, though?)

You not being there when he does the clean wouldn't automatically mean you wont be there later, I'm sure our old window cleaner used to come when everyone was out anyway. He wouldn't know you were on holiday.

If he's done nothing criminal in the last 7 years, then surely if his clients start to dry up, all this does is push him back towards crime and less ethical ways of making money.

He shouldn't be punished for crimes committed a long time ago and it sounds like he's working hard. If it was violent crime I'd agree, but I know plenty of men who have had a fight at a pub in their 20s after too much beer and aren't at all dangerous.

Re. how I know, I googled him for another reason (not a bad reason) and it popped up on the local news sites. No pictures, but it's his name, the right area, and mentions him now working as a window cleaner for the last conviction, so pretty safe bet it's him.

Yes, that was my thought too.

So convicted for four serious offences and never once sent to prison?

If not a bad reason, why not tell us why you googled your window cleaner?