Jail for false gas certificate landlord
Tue, 20 Oct 2009
A Cambridgeshire landlord has been jailed for 16 months after he admitted perverting the course of justice and four separate charges of breaking gas safety law – reports residentiallandlord.co.uk.
Istiaq Ahmed, of Green Leys, St Ives , Cambridgeshire, was due to be sentenced for health and safety offences earlier this year when he instructed his counsel to present a ‘Landlord Gas Safety Record’ as part of his mitigation.
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Investigations by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which brought the gas safety case, revealed the document to be false. Ahmed had obtained a bogus, back-dated certificate from a local gas engineer.
Appearing at Peterborough Crown Court for sentencing last week, Ahmed was imprisoned for 16 months. He had already admitted, at an earlier hearing, perverting the course of justice and four charges in breach of Section 33 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
Immediately after the case HSE issued a firm warning to all managers of rented properties to ensure they adequately check and maintain gas appliances - or face the risk of prosecution.
HSE Inspector Stephen Manley said: “Anyone responsible for letting a property must ensure gas appliances are maintained and annually tested to ensure that they are in a safe condition and working effectively.
“Gas appliances which have not been properly maintained and are unsafe as a result are likely to produce carbon monoxide, which can kill quickly without warning. Carbon monoxide is particularly dangerous because you can’t see it, taste it or smell it.
“Around 20 people die each year from carbon monoxide poisoning due to a lack of effective maintenance of gas appliances. All these deaths could easily be
prevented.
“I urge all landlords to find out about their duties under both the Housing Act and the Gas Safety Regulations. It is vital to take action to reduce risk to tenants and to avoid court action.
“If you choose to become a landlord and enjoy the benefits of the extra income that can bring then you must take your responsibilities towards your tenants seriously.”
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