Inside cellar 'unsuitable for humans' where man died as landlord jailed
The landlord of a cellar flat "unsuitable for human habitation" where a fire killed a man, has been jailed for breaching health and safety regulations.
Philip Sheridan died from smoke inhalation during a blaze in his unofficially converted basement home in Harehills, Leeds, in summer 2019.
Photos released by police showed the oven where the fire started, and the door the 36-year-old tenant struggled to escape through.
The one entrance was inward opening, did not have a proper handle and was partially blocked by the oven itself.
The accommodation was windowless and also had no smoke alarm.
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Shop worker Philip was renting the property from Humrazz Shahid, who was yesterday locked up for 13 months.
Shahid, 43, previously admitted to failing to discharge a duty owed under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
Following the fire on June 26 2019, the fire service and local council concluded the flat did not have adequate fire detection and escape measures, the court heard.
The illegally converted basement had a door partially blocked by the oven (West Yorkshire Police)Shahid did not own the flat but had had the authority to deal with its management since 2008, LeedsLive reports.
He was shown as the landlord on the tenancy agreement signed by Philip and himself in August 2013.
Philip's housing benefit was paid directly into Shahid's bank account.
He paid £75 a week to live there.
The tenant did manage to escape the property on his own, but in doing so suffered burns to the back of his head, upper torso, neck and arms.
it is believed Philip began cooking but fell asleep (West Yorkshire Police)The injuries were consistent with him having to lean back over the oven, which was on fire.
He collapsed on the pavement outside the address and was transferred to hospital where he remained until his death on July 6 2019.
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Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Superintendent Marc Bowes, of West Yorkshire Police, said: “The death of Philip Sheridan in these circumstances was an absolute tragedy, but one that was entirely avoidable had Shahid taken his responsibilities to ensure a safe living environment seriously.
“We worked closely with Leeds City Council to bring this successful prosecution, and we hope that seeing Shahid held accountable for his flagrant breach of the regulations will serve as a clear reminder to other landlords and property managers who fail to meet their legal obligations to put the safety of their tenants first.”
Speaking to the Mirror in 2021, Philip's sister Louise Sheridan said: “I saw the basement for the first time after he died. It was disgusting, I wouldn’t keep an animal there, let alone a human.
The door did not have a proper handle (Collect Unknown)“It was pitch black, there was no natural light or ventilation.
“I didn’t let mum see. It was disgraceful that they let someone live there.
“Philip was easily pleased and worked long hours. For him it was just somewhere to put his head down.
“But that’s no excuse for landlords to compromise on safety.”
An inquest in January 2021 heard he had started cooking in the cellar around midnight on the day of the blaze - before likely falling asleep.
The flat was in the basement of a terraced property (Collect Unknown)The coroner concluded the deathtrap was “unsuitable for human habitation”.
The conversion took place without planning consent, building regulation approval or the council being informed the cellar was being used as a flat.
Philip’s escape was “impeded and delayed” by the lack of a smoke alarm and proper exit, the coroner said.
Police initially interviewed the landlords on suspicion of manslaughter by gross negligence but they were freed without charge.
After the inquest, West Yorkshire senior coroner Kevin McLoughlin wrote a report about the prevention of future deaths to then-Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick.
Landlord Humrazz Shahid was jailed at Leeds Crown Court (BPM MEDIA)It said Leeds City Council paid Philip’s landlords £9,462.05 in housing allowance without confirming planning and building regulations were met.
Had an inspection been carried out, an emergency prohibition order would likely have been served in view of the hazards present, he wrote.
Mr McLoughlin added that the inquest had seen evidence of “many other comparable properties” in the area.
He also pointed out that private landlords do not have an ongoing duty to ensure smoke alarms are effective.
The law states they can be fined £5,000 if they do not have at least one smoke alarm on every storey.
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