A landlord has been given a suspended sentence of 26 weeks and electronically tagged for four months after putting the lives of her tenants at risk by not maintaining gas appliances at a property in Kent.

Dawn Holliday, 62, refused to undertake gas safety checks even after the Health and Safety Executive took enforcement action against her.

She claimed to have no money for undertaking maintenance to the property, leaving the tenants with a very temperamental boiler that banged and often left the occupiers with no heating or hot water, as well as a condemned cooker for several years. However, an HSE investigation found that Ms Holliday was receiving full rent from the tenant for the property in Eastchurch, when the enforcement action was taken.

Despite the Improvement Notice served on Holliday to undertake gas safety checks, she ignored this and further requests from HSE.  She also claimed the tenants had moved out and had not been paying rent, the investigation found this claim to be untrue.

Now at Sevenoaks Magistrates Court, Holliday pleaded guilty to three charges under Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 Section 21 and Gas Safety (Installation & Use) 1998 36(2) and 36(3) and was sentenced to imprisonment of 26 weeks, suspended for a period of 12 months, 

District Judge Leake also imposed an electronically monitored curfew on Holliday at her address for a period of four months with the curfew hours of 8pm to 6am  and awarded HSE £750 in costs.  

Additionally the Judge made a remediation order pursuant to section 42 of the 1974, for Holliday to undertake the gas safety inspection required of her by  December 6 this year.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE Inspector Joanne Williams said: “We are dedicated to ensuring that landlords operate within the law and provide safe accommodation for tenants. We do not tolerate disregard for health and safety and consider the non-compliance of HSE enforcement notices as a serious offence.

“In this case Ms Holliday chose to flagrantly ignore the support, guidance and warnings from HSE to assist her in compliance with the law and continued placing her tenants at serious risk of injury or even death.

“Wherever possible we will continue to work with landlords to improve health and safety.  However, we will not hesitate to take enforcement action where necessary and prosecute individuals who ignore warnings and the law.”