THIS is cowboy contractor Andrew Goodison - who put lives in danger by installing and servicing gas appliances even though he wasn't qualified or registered.
The 45-year-old builder, of Lingfoot Crescent, Jordanthorpe, worked in homes across Sheffield, ripping out old central heating boilers and installing new ones, fitting a gas meter, installing a gas hob, and servicing a gas fire.
But Goodison was not qualified, or registered with the national watchdog for gas safety CORGI.
When CORGI-registered fitters checked his work they found flues installed upside down, hot and cold water pipes connected the wrong way round, a valve fitted incorrectly, and a boiler not fitted to the wall properly.
Sheffield Magistrates heard Goodison lied to a customer who challenged him about his registration, telling them he was CORGI registered. When asked to prove it he abandoned the work mid job.
Andrew Cameron, prosecuting for the Health and Safety Executive, said some of the appliances Goodison installed had so many defects they were immediately deemed dangerous - posing an immediate risk to life and property.
The court heard Goodison was self-employed as the proprietor of RGS Building Services.
His botched work was carried out at homes on Hopefield Avenue in Frecheville, Albert Road in Meersbrook, Hackthorn Road in Woodseats, Ranby Crescent in Greystones and Atlantic Walk in Greenhill.
Mr Cameron said: "This prosecution arises out of work undertaken by Mr Goodison at a number of residential properties in and around Sheffield between August 2005 and March 2007.
"The gas safety installation and use regulations require no self-employed person should carry out work in relation to gas fitting or service pipework unless they are approved by the HSE.
"The HSE says he carried out work in relation to gas fittings or serviced pipeworks at five residential properties and, at one of those properties, falsely pretended to be qualified and registered with
CORGI."
When Goodison was interviewed by health and safety inspectors he denied carrying out the work. He claimed he was in Lanzarote at the time one job took place and blamed the brother-in-law of a customer for another.
Goodison, who admitted seven breaches of health and safety regulations, represented himself at court.
Asked by the chairwoman of the bench if he had anything to say, he replied: "Only that I shouldn't have done it."
Magistrates, who only had the power to fine Goodison up to £5,000 for each offence, committed his case for sentencing to Crown Court - where the fines are unlimited.
A CORGI spokeswoman told The Star after the hearing: "Anyone carrying out gas-related work must be registered with CORGI by law. An illegal gas worker is 32 times more likely to create a carbon monoxide incident than a CORGI-registered installer.
"It is important that all gas appliances are correctly installed and checked annually to ensure no deadly carbon monoxide is being produced. Carbon monoxide is produced when gas appliances are not working properly, and kills around 30 people each year."
Householders could check if their gas fitter is CORGI-registered by asking for an ID card, logging on to
www.trustcorgi.com or calling 0800 915 0485.
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