A self-employed builder from Leyton has been fined £75,000, plus £25,452 in costs and ordered to undertake 150 hours of community service after work that he carried out on an elderly couple's home led to their death from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Mohammed Jamil had been contracted to carry out work on Donald and Rosetta O'Sullivan's garage roof in Leyton between 14 February and 31 March 2009.
Mr Jamil was paid to raise the roof of the garage, but did not take into account the effect this would have on the safety of the gas appliances within the property.
An investigation by the Health and Safety (HSE) found that in raising the roof, Mr Jamil enclosed the flue of a boiler, leaving it in a dangerous and unsafe condition. As a result, Mr and Mrs O'Sullivan suffered carbon monoxide poisoning and were found dead at their home on 21 April 2009.
If the flue had not been enclosed, the deaths could have been avoided.
Mr Jamil pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 8(1) of the Gas Safety (Installation & Use) Regulations 1998 for his failings in relation to the deaths.
After the hearing on 20 July, HSE inspector Kevin Smith said: 'Today's prosecution graphically illustrates the dangers of builders carrying out work without considering the effects on gas appliances.'
