Suspended sentence for unregistered plumber who carried out unsafe gas work

An Essex plumber who carried out unsafe and unregistered gas work on a gas cooker and boiler in September 2016 has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Basildon Crown Court heard how Andrew Goodchild, of ASG Plumbing and Heating, had been served with a Prohibition Notice (PN) by the HSE earlier in 2016 for carrying out gas work while not being registered with Gas Safe.

Mr Goodchild ignored the requirements of the PN and subsequently removed a gas cooker and pipework from a kitchen in Leigh-on-Sea, in Essex. He also moved a gas boiler, leaving it in a dangerous condition. He was not registered with Gas Safe Register and did not possess the necessary qualifications for carrying out gas work.

Andrew Goodchild of The Maples, Harlow, Essex, pleaded guilty to breaching the Prohibition Notice and Regulation 3(3) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, and was found guilty in a Newton hearing of breaching Regulation 3(1) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. He received an 18-month suspended sentence, and was ordered to carry out 250 hours of unpaid work and pay £3,200 in costs.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Saffron Turnell said: “Mr Goodchild showed a clear disregard for the law and put a number of people’s lives at risk. Carrying out gas work is difficult, specialised and potentially very dangerous. It is therefore vital that only registered gas engineers, who are trained and competent, work on gas appliances and fittings.”