Pair who fled UK jailed in their absence for serious fire safety breaches at West Bromwich flats
Two company directors have been jailed for almost three years each for serious and prolonged breaches of fire safety regulations at a West Bromwich block of flats.
Daniel Orasanu, aged 49, and Carmen Lupu, aged 34, fled the country before a jury trial that went ahead in their absence in 2018. The were found guilty in their absence, along with their company First Job Ltd, for three specimen charges under the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order.
Safety checks revealed breaches including an absence of fire doors, faulty fire safety equipment, fire alarms being switched off and gaps between dividing walls and ceilings at the premises.
On Thursday at Wolverhampton Crown Court, the Romanian nationals were sentenced in their absence after failing to return.
Sentencing them Judge Neil Chawla said: "In my judgement this was a serious and prolonged fire safety breach and offences so serious that only a sentence of custody is appropriate.
"The defendants not only ignored safety breaches, but actively sought as many people as possible to move in so they could take their money, knowing full well that if there was a fire there was a risk of death, and to every woman, man and child living there."
Mark Jackson, prosecuting on behalf of West Midlands Fire Authority, said the company profited to the tune of hundreds of thousands of pounds from the enterprise. He said two floors of the four-storey building, then known as Metro Court, in High Street, West Bromwich, were converted into makeshift bedrooms, with Orasanu and Lupu living in a "luxury" flat in comparison to the accommodation offered to the tenants.
He said the defendants ignored a fire authority prohibition notice, resulting in a multi-agency evacuation involving the council, the fire service and the police, of the 90 residents who had been paying £500 a month to live at Metro Court. Sandwell Council later helped to re-home the tenants.
Orasanu was jailed for 34 months and Lupu 33 months for their actions. They must serve half the term and pay costs of £32,354 each if arrested and brought back to the UK in future. The court heard that First Job has since been dissolved and as a result the judge ordered the charges against it to lie on file.
Orasanu and Lupu had been were granted bail on the conditions that they reside at the company's address at Smestow Bridge Industrial Estate, in Wombourne, and to suurender passports and all other travel documents to the court. Despite this Lupu left on a flight, while Orasanu left via Dover to Calais.
In November 2016, following a referral from Sandwell Council, the fire service's safety team visited Metro Court – originally an NHS office block and found multiple fire safety breaches. Metro Court was leased by First Job and owned by Metro Court WB.
It was rented to mainly Romanian families, some with young children, after the couple advertised rooms on Facebook.
A subsequent closure order in August 2017 resulted in residents being moved to safety.
Speaking after the sentencing, West Midlands Fire Service protection area manager Lee Brathwaite said: “This was a shocking case. Many lives were put at risk because fire safety requirements and our prohibition notice were repeatedly and deliberately ignored.
“We would much rather support and work with people who are responsible for fire safety. However, when necessary, we will not hesitate to use our powers and work with our partners to protect lives.”