‘Dangerous flue could have killed tenants’
A Plymouth landlord has been given a suspended jail sentence after dangerous gas appliances were found at his rental property.
Plymouth Crown Court heard that the gas appliances in the property in Laira Street, Plymouth, were worked on by an unknown illegal gas fitter, leaving them in an Immediately Dangerous condition.
The HSE, prosecuting, told the court that landlord Lokendra Khadka had never had the gas appliances checked at the rental property. He had arranged for someone to make alterations to a gas boiler chimney/flue and that person had left it in an extremely dangerous state – it was made from hose designed to vent tumble dryers, and cemented to the wall.
Mr Khadka could not provide any details to the HSE or the court about who had done the work.
Lokendra Kumar Khadka of Albert Road, Plymouth, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 36 (3)(a) and 36(4) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. He was sentenced to 15 months in prison, suspended for 24 months, and ordered to pay costs of £4,904.
Speaking after the hearing HSE inspector Simon Jones said: “Mr Khadka put his tenants and their children at a very real risk of death from the gas work he arranged at his rental property, done by someone who was not competent to do it safely.”
