Sparkhill landlord fined after tenant died in fire at house with no working smoke detectors
Aug 7 2010 by Emma McKinney, Birmingham Mail
A LANDLORD was ordered to pay thousands of pounds in fines and costs after admitting he failed to ensure batteries were fitted in smoke detectors at a Birmingham house in which one of his tenants died in a fire.
Mumtaz Mohammed, 51, was fined £2,500 and ordered to pay £2,000 prosecution costs at Birmingham Magistrates Court yesterday after pleading guilty to flouting regulations which rule landlords should maintain working smoke alarms in properties they rent out.
Firefighters forced their way into Mohammed’s house in Nansen Road, Sparkhill, on November 18 last year after local builders raised the alarm at 11am, said Simon Mortimer, prosecuting on behalf of Birmingham City Council.
“They found the body of Taj Sakander in an upstairs room where he had been sleeping after working a night shift, but despite paramedics battling to revive him, he tragically died from smoke inhalation,” he added.
“Firefighters discovered that despite the house having two potentially life-saving smoke detectors which could have raised the alarm, neither were fitted with batteries.
