Plumber’s work placed life at risk

A plumber posing as a registered gas fitter installed a potentially lethal central heating system at the home of a Wolverhampton mother, a court heard.

Bungling Michael Ward connected the hot and cold pipes the wrong way round to the boiler and fixed a new gas fire so dangerously that it was immediately condemned by experts.

Then the shameless 44-year-old, who worked under the trade name of G and M Plumbing, assumed the identity of a genuine Corgi registered gas fitter who did not know him to sign official documentation recording the £1,600 job at the Whitmore Reans house of Shanaz Khalil.

Ward, who appeared in the dock at Wolverhampton Crown Court yesterday with a heavily bandaged right hand after almost severing a finger with a power tool while trying to lay carpet at his own home, admitted making a false statement and using a false instrument.

Prosecutor Amy Jacobs said: “He fitted a gas fire, central heating and a boiler and signed the log book as a Corgi registered gas installer called Miles Dickinson. He was employed as somebody registered and qualified to do the work.

“The hot and cold water lines to the boiler were attached the wrong way round and the gas fire was declared dangerous because of the way it had been installed and immediately condemned. In fact it turned out that it was only safe to have an electric fire in the property. Everything he installed has had to be refitted.”

Michael Grey defending, commented: “He accepts that he has caused a lot of inconvenience, frustration and distress and apologises for it.”

Ward, from Brick Kiln Street, Portobello, Willenhall, was given a four-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months with £1,500 compensation by Recorder Alan Parker who told him: “You are incompetent and worked entirely outside your experience. You created grave danger for the lady who employed you and placed her life at risk after lulling her into a false sense of security with false documents.

“There could have been cataclysmic damage and catastrophic loss of life.”

Nigel Packer, a principal officer with Wolverhampton trading standards department who brought the case, said afterwards: “The sentence adequately reflects the seriousness of the offences and we are delighted with the compensation order for the customer.”

Miss Khalil, a 31-year-old civil servant who lives with her 10-year-old daughter said today: “I feel lucky to be alive. I was shocked when told the man was not the registered fitter I had been led to believe and horrified by the state he had left my house in.

“I was told that the boiler could have blown the place up and the fire was leaking carbon monoxide that could have killed me. On top of that I will be at least £50 out of pocket when the compensation is paid. I have lost faith in all workmen as a result of this.”