Landlord jailed for 15 months following fire

A Prestatyn landlord has been jailed for 15 months following a fire at his rental property killed five people. 

Unbelievably,  landlord, Jay Liptrot, 43, from Prestatyn, Wales was also working as a fireman at the time of the blaze and the court heard how he was one of the firefighters at the" forefront of brave efforts" to rescue the five from the flat after the blaze was started.

Mr Liptrot pleaded guilty to a charge of  failing to take general fire precautions and exposing people to risk at Caernarfon Crown Court. The installation of a fire door would have meant that it would have taken 30 minutes before the fire swept through the upstairs flat, but instead the “woefully inadequate” door made of glass and thin wood failed to act as a barrier between the communal hallway and stairs leading to the upstairs flat, and instead funnelled heat and smoke upwards “like a chimney”.

Tragically, Lee-Anna Shiers, 20, Liam Timbrell, 23, their son Charlie, Ms Shiers' nephew Bailey, four, and niece Skye, two, all died in the rental flat in Prestatyn back in 2012.

Due to Liprot's profession as a firefighter, the judge categorised his 'culpability' as high.

Mr Liptrot must also pay £4,200 prosecution costs and a £100 victim surcharge.

The blaze was started by a neighbour, Melanie Smith after a row with Ms Shiers' regarding a pushchair left in the shared hallway of the flats. Smith has been sentenced for 30 years for murder.

Take advantage of our discounted landlord insurance rates