Cowboy builder walks away from job seconds after causing house to explode

A builder who walked away from a job on a Nottingham home following an explosion has avoided jail.

Barry Newman, the sole trader of Foster Brother Builders, was hired to carry out refurbishment works at a property on Commercial Road, Bulwell.

The 51-year-old placed a faulty portable space heater connected to a propane gas can in a cellar to dry out.

On November 22, 2022, the heater exploded due to a gas leak, destroying almost all of the ground floor of the home.

Newman, who suffered burns to his face, hands and scalp, was filmed walking away from the gutted property.

Debris from the blast was propelled onto the road and pavement.

Newman failed to provide correctly maintained and suitable equipment and had not carried out a risk assessment, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found.

The manufacturer’s instructions for the heater he used state that the equipment should be placed in a well-ventilated area.

Propane containers should not be stored below ground, where leaked gas is more likely to collect and ignite.

At a hearing at Nottingham Magistrates Court this month, Newman pleaded guilty to breaching regulations regarding the use of building equipment.

The builder was handed a prison sentence of 12 months, suspended for two years.

He will also have to complete 240 hours of unpaid work as well as pay £2,000 towards the cost of the damage.

Inspector Roy Poulter said: ‘This gas explosion has left one man unable to work due to the seriousness of the injuries sustained and it could have easily resulted in someone losing their life.

‘This case should serve as a strong reminder to those in the building trade on the dangers of working with gas and the need to assess the risk, and just how serious both HSE and the courts take failures like this.’

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