Southwark Council has prosecuted a builder from Romford, after saying he lied about installing fireproof windows in a block of flats in Walworth.
Trading Standard officers said Valeriu Sandu, of Valmic Properties Limited, told council officers that three separate bedroom windows at Penton Place were 90-minute fire-rated when they were not.
Sandu was sentenced to two fraud offences, receiving twelve months imprisonment for each at the Inner London Crown Court in January.
However, the sentence was suspended for fifteen months because the judge took into account his early guilty plea and personal circumstances.
Sandu was also sentenced to 70 hours unpaid work and fined of £10,000.
“The horror of Grenfell reminded us once again of the importance of prioritising fire safety,” said Cllr Darren Merrill.
“In this context, it is incomprehensible that a builder would fail in his basic duties to keep people safe, and then lie and attempt to deceive the council about the safety of the building.
“I hope that our prosecution and court result serve as a stark warning to anyone seeking to put personal gain before the safety of others, by ignoring important fire safety regulations,” he added.
“I am pleased that thanks to our Building Control and Trading Standards teams, Mr Sandu was punished for his crimes.”
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All windows fitted on council properties need at least-60 minutes fire resistance to meet current building regulations.
Two emails from Sandu were mentioned by Southwark Council’s prosecution, which they said contained deliberately false information and demands for quick payment.
The first the court heard included a fake manufacturer’s invoice for the fire rated windows. It said they had been ‘supplied, delivered and were 90-minute fire rated’.
Yet, during a site inspection, a council Building Control officer questioned the fire resistance of the windows, as they had air vents in the frames that provide a path for fire and smoke.
A second fake email was forwarded by Sandu supposedly from the window manufacturers in which he claimed sealant could be used to resolve the issue.
This raised the suspicions of council officers who contacted the alleged window manufacturer.
They responded that both emails were bogus and the matter was referred to trading standards.
Valmic Properties Limited later installed the correct windows.
