Illegal gas fitter receives two-year prison
sentence
An
Accrington man who falsely claimed he was a registered gas engineer has been
sent to prison for two years for endangering people's lives at two properties
in Lancashire, including a baby boy.
Stephen
Jonathan was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for committing
a total of six offences, after his work was classified as being 'immediately
dangerous'.
An
unsafe chimney flue on a bolier Stephen Jonathan installed in Accrington
Burnley
Crown Court heard the 35-year-old's actions had put residents at risk of being
killed or seriously injured in a gas explosion or from carbon monoxide
poisoning.
The
court was told Mr Jonathan falsely claimed he was a registered gas engineer
when he installed a new boiler at a community nurse's home on Willows Lane in
Accrington on 22 October 2010. Geoff Street regularly looked after his sister's
baby in his house, without knowing the boiler was operating dangerously.
An
engineer was sent to repair the boiler after it was reported to the manufacturer
as being faulty. He classified the installation as being 'immediately
dangerous', and disconnected it from the gas supply straight away.
Mr
Jonathan's work was reported to Gas Safe Register, which holds the official
list of legal and safe gas engineers, and HSE, which carried out an
investigation. It found that he had also installed central heating at a house
on Avondale Road in Lancaster during November and December 2010.
He
had again claimed to be a registered gas engineer, and the installation of the
boiler had again been classified as being 'immediately dangerous'.
Stephen
Jonathan, of Collins Drive, Baxenden, admitted putting lives at risk, and of
carrying out gas work while falsely claiming to be a registered gas engineer.
He was sentenced to 24 months in prison at Burnley Crown Court on 20 October
2011.
Geoff
Street, 52, spent £1,700 on making the boiler safe at his house on Willows Lane
in Accrington. He said:
"It's
shocking that Stephen Jonathan didn't have any consideration for my life or anyone
else's. I was looking after my sister's baby in the house without knowing both
our lives were being put in danger by the boiler he installed.
"He
appeared quite professional when I first met him. But he refused to come back
when I told him the boiler kept switching itself off, and I eventually found
out it was actually dangerous.
"I'd
advise people to check the Gas Safe website or ring the helpline before
agreeing to gas work being carried out. There are some people out there just
out to make a fast buck, with no regard for health and safety."
Stuart
Kitchingman, the investigating inspector at HSE, added:
"Mr
Jonathan has displayed an appalling disregard for the lives of other people,
and a total contempt for the law.
"He
went out of his way to fake qualifications and he continued to carry out gas
work illegally. His actions caused a considerable amount of cost and distress
to his customers, and it was only luck that no one was seriously harmed.
"It
is vital people become members of the Gas Safe Register before carrying out gas
work, or they risk putting lives in danger. Members of the public and landlords
should also check that gas engineers have a valid Gas Safe Register ID
card."
Paul
Johnston, Chief Executive of Gas Safe Register, added:
"We
work closely with the HSE to investigate unregistered gas fitters and the
prosecution of Stephen Jonathan comes as welcome news to us all.
"Gas
fitters working unregistered like Stephen Jonathan are far more common than you
think - we estimate they're doing 250,000 illegal jobs each year, causing
fires, explosions, gas leaks, carbon monoxide poisoning and leaving people out
of pocket.
"All
gas engineers have to be Gas Safe registered - it's the law. Our message to
everyone is clear - check the engineer's Gas Safe Register ID card before
letting them work on gas."
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