A MAN from Jersey has been given a suspended jail sentence for carrying out illegal gas work at a house in Torquay which put “the lives of the homeowners and their four young children at risk”.
Benjamin Owen, who was trading as BPS and Ben the Plumber, had attended the Devon property in February 2023, where he removed an old boiler and installed a new one.
However, when the homeowners complained that the new boiler did not work properly, Owen dismissed their concerns, leading to the family calling another company to check the work.
The second plumber had major concerns over the quality of the work and called an emergency gas provider who found a leak on the supply line and classed the situation as “immediately dangerous”.
Gas Safe Register was called and attended the site, where they found further defects in the gas boiler installation. A third company was employed by the homeowners to rectify the faults. When they started work, they discovered additional faults created by Owen.
A Health and Safety Executive UK investigation found that Owen had previously been a member of the Gas Safe Register, but that his registration had lapsed in October 2021, meaning any work carried out after that time was illegal.
Appearing before Exeter Crown Court, Owen, of St Helier, was found guilty of contravening sections of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, and sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment, suspended for 18 months.
He was also ordered to undertake 150 hours unpaid work and to pay costs of £1,000.
After the hearing, HSE inspector, Simon Jones, said: “Ben Owen undertook gas work which he knew he was not registered to do and the work that he undertook was found to be dangerous, putting the lives of the homeowners and their four young children at risk.
“All gas work must be conducted by registered Gas Safe engineers to ensure the highest standards are met to prevent injury and loss of life.
“We advise all householders to check that anyone they allow to work on their gas supply is Gas Safe-registered. This can be done at the Gas Safe Register website.”
The prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Daniel Poole and paralegal Michael Millman.
