Illegal gas fitter faked registration

An illegal gas fitter has been given a suspended jail sentence after he carried out gas work at a rented property in Plymouth, and pretended to be registered.

Plymouth Crown Court heard that Peter Knight, aged 67, undertook landlords’ gas safety record checks at the property above a pub on Marlborough Street, and extended the gas supply pipe to feed the pub’s kitchen despite never having been registered.

The HSE, prosecuting, said the landlords believed he was registered to do the work because Mr Knight used the name and registration number of a Gas Safe registered business on the gas safety records he produced.

Mr Knight’s illegal gas work came to light when the tenant of the flat above the pub smelled gas in his flat and confronted Mr Knight about the work he had done. The tenant contacted Gas Safe Register because of his concerns about the workmanship.

Peter Knight of Cornwall Street, Plymouth, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 3(3) and 3(7) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. He was sentenced to 16 months in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered to pay £2,000 costs.

HSE inspector Simon Jones, speaking after the hearing, said: “It is fortunate no one was harmed as a result of Mr Knight’s illegal gas work. He compounded his illegal work by deceptively using false Gas Safe Register details on his paperwork and then lied to the landlords and tenant when he was challenged about this, in a clear attempt to deceive them.”

“The landlords relied on the honesty of Mr Knight but, by deceiving them, he put the lives of their tenants at risk for his own financial gain.”