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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Shahid, who runs HS Properties, was arrested in March 2020 but refuse to accept he was the landlord. He gave a no-comment interview and only changed his plea days before his trial was due to start in January of this year.

During an investigation they found housing benefit money being paid directly from Mr Sheridan to Shahid’s bank account, incriminating the defendant.

Worryingly they also found that another of his sub-standard properties in Chapeltown had been served with a prohibition order for several reasons, including fire hazards, exposed live wiring and an inadequate heating system.

Prosecuting the case, Alasdair Campbell suggested Shahid, of Oakwood Lane, Leeds, had a “deliberate disregard for safety to maximise his profits”.

Mitigating for the 43-year-old, Sarah Barlow said: “He was aware of his responsibilities but put the second to his own business interests. He does not seek to excuse his behaviour.”