AN illegal Chelmsford gas engineer has been ordered to pay £2,527 and do community service for putting residents at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Residents at Bouchers Mead, Chelmsford, blew the whistle on the dodgy engineer after their carbon monoxide alarm alerted them to a “dangerous” gas leak.
On investigation, the Health and Safety Executive found that the tenants’ ‘newly fixed’ gas installation was in an ‘immediately dangerous’ condition.
Judges at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court heard on June 13 that James Wilkinson, of Falmouth Road, had left a gas leak following a repair, and tenants had only been saved from being poisoned by their carbon monoxide alarm.
The court also heard Wilkinson also did not hold the required qualifications to undertake the work he had been contracted to do, having worked on warm air units when he was not Gas Safe-registered to do the work.
The offences took place between December 2014 and August 2015.
Wilkinson, 47, who pleaded guilty to all charges under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 was sentenced to 120 hours community service, and ordered to pay costs of £2,527 and a victim surcharge of £60.
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