A PLUMBER who posed as a gas engineer and put lives at risk with sub-standard work has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court heard today (Tuesday, December 9) that Keith Downie carried out safety checks and maintenance on gas appliances in Darlington homes despite having no training or qualifications.

The alarm was raised by a legitimate gas engineer who was so concerned by the standard of work on a faulty boiler in a Louisa Street home that he contacted the estate agent managing the property.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) ensued and resulted in Downie, of The Firs, Darlington, being charged with six counts of contravening health and safety regulations.

He pleaded guilty to all charges.

The court heard that in addition to the unsound Louisa Street boiler work, 51-year-old Downie had also carried out gas safety checks at properties in Belgrave Street and Neasham Road.

He was not legally registered or qualified to issue safety certificates but he used his date of birth as a registration number, which coincidentally matched a genuine number used by a firm in Scotland.

When issuing the certificates, Downie also used the name of a legitimate gas worker operating in Darlington rather than his own.

Prosecuting, HSE inspector Jonathan Wills said Downie’s actions meant he was taking work away from genuine gas engineers who had invested thousands of pounds in training and registering.

Mitigating, Stephen Andrews said Downie fully accepted what he had done and now had a greater understanding of the potential consequences of his actions.

He said Downie was operating a struggling small business and had been “blinded” by the opportunity to make a short-term financial gain.

Magistrates imposed a 16-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months, with 12 months supervision and 200 hours unpaid work.

He was also told to pay £500 towards court costs.