Rogue landlord rented out squalid firetrap Leeds flat in which tenant died in devastating blaze

By Nick Frame
Published 3rd May 2023, 15:41 BST
Updated 3rd May 2023, 15:41 BST
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A rogue landlord who rented out a squalid Leeds flat with no proper window, fire exit or fitted smoke alarm has been jailed after a blaze ripped through the premises, killing his tenant.

Philip Sheridan paid £75-a-week to rent the cellar of the terraced home at 12 Berkeley Grove in Harehills that had been converted without planning permission. It was later deemed “unsuitable for human habitation”.

When a fire broke out on June 26, 2019, Mr Sheridan suffered from fatal smoke inhalation and died in hospital 10 days later.

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Property businessman and landlord Humraz Pinnu Shahid admitted failing in his duty to adhere to health and safety regulations. He was jailed for 13 months at Leeds Crown Court this afternoon.

The blaze gripped the basement flat on Berkeley Grove, Harehills. The damage and smoke damage can be seen in the kitchen area of the flat where Mr Sheridan had been living.The blaze gripped the basement flat on Berkeley Grove, Harehills. The damage and smoke damage can be seen in the kitchen area of the flat where Mr Sheridan had been living.
The blaze gripped the basement flat on Berkeley Grove, Harehills. The damage and smoke damage can be seen in the kitchen area of the flat where Mr Sheridan had been living.

Judge Andrew Stubbs KC said: “Mr Sheridan’s family were shocked by the conditions he had been living in. Nobody should have been living there. It was unsuitable for human habitation.

"You were aware of your obligations as a professional landlord. This was a flagrant disregard and your sought to minimise your responsibility. It was cost-cutting and left a long-standing flaw in the premises that had fatal consequences.”

Mr Sheridan, aged 32, who worked in a second-hand furniture shop owned by Shahid, began his tenancy at the flat in August, 2013.

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The 32-year-old’s death came about when he had started cooking in the basement property at around midnight on June 26, 2019 and probably fell asleep.

When the fire broke out on the electric cooker, Mr Sheridan managed to escape but was delayed by having only one exit door with no handle. The cooker and the fire was next to the door, thus blocking his way out. A small basement window was not accessible due to debris on the outside.

He managed to escape, but suffered burns to the back of his head, upper torso, neck and arms. He had also inhaled a huge amount of acrid smoke and collapsed on the pavement outside, although remained conscious when the ambulance arrived.

He was rushed to the LGI but later moved to the burns unit at Pinderfields in Wakefield. He underwent surgery but never regained consciousness. His condition deteriorated and he died on July 6.