Fire safety breaches at West Bromwich flats 'worst ever seen' as bosses get jail time
The case of two company directors who put tenants in danger by ignoring fire safety regulations at a block of flats was the worst ever seen in the UK.
Daniel Orasanu, aged 49, and Carmen Lupu, aged 34, were jailed in their absence for almost three years for serious and prolonged breaches between November 2016 and August 7, 2017 at the block formerly known as Metro Court, in High Street, West Bromwich.
Safety checks revealed an absence of fire doors, faulty fire safety equipment, fire alarms being switched off and gaps between dividing walls and ceilings at the premises.
Sentencing them to 34 months and 33 months in jail respectively Judge, Neil Chawla told Wolverhampton Crown Court that it was the "worst case of fire safety breaches" in the country, after hearing that young families and workers converting the four-storey site were all put in danger.
Orasanu and Lupu's Wombourne-based business First Job Ltd had taken over the lease for the former NHS offices and proceeded to convert it floor by floor into sub-standard residential accommodation without any planning permission or building regulation approval.
When the fire service safety team carried out the first inspection they were so concerned that the people living and sleeping there were at risk of serious injury death if there was a fire, that a prohibition notice was served on the defendants, meaning the site should not be used as residential accommodation.
After ignoring the order and eight further inspections the site was subsequently evacuated in an operation by West Midlands Fire Service, West Midlands Police and Sandwell Council in August 2017.
The Romanian nationals were arrested and charged, but fled the jurisdiction three days before the original trial date in 2018 and were sentenced in their absence on February 8 after a lengthy investigation into their whereabouts and past convictions.
Many of the 90 tenants were paying £500 per month for the flats had been advertised on Facebook mainly to the Romanian community.
Following the evacuation the council rehomed many of the tenants and hundred properties were inspected across West Bromwich and Smethwick as part of a crackdown on rogue traders amid fears migrants were being forced to live in poor conditions.
Mr Mark Jackson, prosecuting on behalf of the fire and rescue authority, said Orasanu had previous convictions for handling stolen goods dating to 2016 when he was given suspended jail terns of 12 months and nine months in Liverpool. He was in breach of the terms when he committed the fire safety offences.
He also had motoring convictions in Sweden.
If the pair, of Smestow Bridge Industrial Estate, in Wombourne, return to face justice they will be jailed. They must serve half the term and pay costs of £32,354 each after the court heard they pocketed hundreds and thousands of pounds from the enterprise.