Landlord jailed after tenant dies in house fire

A LANDLORD has been jailed for breaching new fire regulations after his tenant died in a blaze.

Mehmat Parlak was sentenced to four months and his company, Watchacre Properties Limited, fined £21,000 for serious breaches under the regulatory reform order.

The prosecution was the first of its kind in London and followed a fire at a flat in Ruskin Road, Tottenham, in September last year. Firefighters rescued Abdualla Gardoon but he died later from his injuries.

Brian Coleman, chairman of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, said: "This fire highlights why landlords must take their responsibilities seriously."

Parlak, of Enfield, was sentenced at Wood Green crown court after pleading guilty to eight breaches of fire safety laws.