Bogus boiler fitter banged-up for two years

Grant Prior 13 years ago
Share

A bogus boiler fitter has been sent to prison for two years for endangering people’s lives at two properties in Lancashire, including a baby boy.

Burnley Crown Court heard how Stephen Jonathan put residents at risk of being killed or seriously injured in a gas explosion or from carbon monoxide poisoning.

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.

Nurse 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.

Jonathan’s work was reported to Gas Safe Register and HSE who also 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’.

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.

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.”

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.”

Latest news

Kier wins first phase of £700m Warwick Uni campus build

Firm to start work on science and engineering precinct last this year
12 hours ago

Torsion and Khalbros to build new Leeds £1bn neighbourhood

Eastgate Quarter site acquired from Hammerson
12 hours ago

JCB to double size of US factory in wake of Trump tariffs

$500m Texas factory under construction to expand to 1m sq ft
13 hours ago

Green light for £2.4bn Luton Airport expansion

Government go-ahead to transform airport
13 hours ago

Diversification pays off for concrete frame specialist Statom

Strong results as £180m turnover firm expands into infrastructure sector
15 hours ago

Cardo in talks to buy Breyer roofing arm

More than 100 jobs could be saved at Breyer Roofing
20 hours ago

Quartet win £750m Wales & Western railway deal

Network Rail confirms partners for Reactive and Minor Works framework
20 hours ago

Plans in for £350m London Bridge life sciences hub

Snowsfields Quarter will consist of three buildings containing labs
21 hours ago

Surging labour costs push tender price forecast up

Pick-up in tender prices despite weak growth
21 hours ago

Permasteelisa wins cladding deal on Multiplex city tower

Facade specialist wins work on Fenchurch Street ‘hanging gardens’ tower
20 hours ago

Wates wins fit-out for Manchester First Street Hub

Smartspace arm secures another Government hub deal
2 days ago

Peel Ports reveals winners for £750m framework

18 firms win places on deal: Full list
2 days ago

Big trade names dropped in M Group rebrand

Acquisitive group formed from Morrison Utility services in 2016
2 days ago

Breyer Group files administration notice

Staff hope rival firm could buy assets and save jobs
2 days ago

Former Severfield director takes helm at Embrace Steel

New CEO Martin Kelly aims to step up expansion of steelwork contractor
2 days ago

£302m upgrade funding awarded to FE colleges – list

Cash shared out between England’s 179 college groups
2 days ago

FK Facades thrives but construction arm hit by ISG row

Dispute with failed contractor costs specialist £5.5m
2 days ago

Galliford Try gets go-ahead for Milton Keynes PRS tower

33-storey tower needs gateway 2 approval before work can start
3 days ago

Small house builders get £150m funding for green homes

Developers will have to meet-up to ten new criteria to benefit from interest rate discounts
2 days ago

Lendlease Construction renamed Bovis

US private equity firm completes £35m purchase of UK contracting business and rebrands
3 days ago

Breyer Group battles for survival as rivals circle

Housing maintenance firm fights three winding up petitions in a month
3 days ago

Careys facing £2.4m claim by developer over demolition cartel

Giant Hong Kong developer claims it was overcharged on Lots Road Power Station job
3 days ago

Multiplex profit drops a third as revenue rises to £780m

Spate of new orders sets contractor up for three years of work
3 days ago

Galliford Try and Breheny land latest Sizewell C road deals

More infrastructure deals for new nuclear power station
4 days ago

Worker trapped in collapsed septic tank pit

Contractor and director fined after worker suffers multiple fractures
3 days ago

Homes England buys stalled Broad Marsh site

Demolition to finally be completed as developer hunt begins
3 days ago

Vistry go-ahead for 353 homes at Rochester Riverside

Work to start on next phase of Kent town regeneration at end of this year
4 days ago

M&E firm J S Wright collapsed owing £19m

Trade creditors hit for £11.4m by employee-owned Midlands firm
4 days ago

Right to work checks to be extended to self-employed

Government plans crackdown on illegal working and rogue employers
4 days ago

Midlands developer turns to London with £1bn resi schemes trio

SevenCapital plans 1,000 flats in Kensington, Islington and the Isle of Dogs projects
4 days ago

Contractor services