A 30-year-old man from Newbury has been handed a suspended jail term after admitting he posed as a Gas Safe engineer.
Christian Godwin, of Newport Close, pleaded guilty to five offences at Reading Magistrates Court following a prosecution by West Berkshire Council trading standards.
He was sentenced to 10 months' imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid work, must pay £20,244 in compensation, is disqualified from being a company director for three years and must complete 20 rehabilitation activity days.
The offences involved five victims who were led to believe Mr Godwin was Gas Safe registered when he was not. In reliance on that belief he carried out gas and plumbing work, including boiler installations, with victims paying about £2,000 to £4,000 each.
Trading standards found the work created a real and foreseeable risk of serious injury or death - gas leaks, fire or carbon monoxide poisoning.
Victims told the court how they were affected: one household was left without heating over Christmas after a newly installed boiler was deemed dangerous and unusable; another couple suffered nausea, dizziness and headaches and had their gas supply disconnected by a subsequent engineer; a third received an electric shock and had water damage and a large hole in the ceiling from a leaking hot water tank.
Mr Godwin operated under names including Premier Mechanical Solutions and Premier Heat and Cool Limited.
Residents are reminded that gas work must only be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Always ask to see a Gas Safe ID card and check registration details before work starts.
Tom McCann, the chairman of the Joint Public Protection Committee, said: "This was a serious and calculated course of deception, and the consequences for residents could have been catastrophic.
"Misrepresenting Gas Safe registration is not a minor matter it is a deliberate act that puts lives at risk.
"This investigation and subsequent court action reflects the council's commitment to taking robust enforcement action where the public suffer detriment from unfair trading.
"Our trading standards officers and legal team will continue to investigate and prosecute those who mislead residents, abuse trust and profit from unsafe work.
"We will use all appropriate enforcement powers available to us and will continue to seek outcomes that hold offenders to account including compensation for victims and action to prevent further harm."
Niki Hinman, Local Democracy Reporter
