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Jail for brothers with property developing ambitions, who caused building to collapse (20 April 2015)

Date: 20/04/2015
Duncan Lewis, Personal Injury Solicitors, Jail for brothers with property developing ambitions, who caused building to collapse

A court has jailed two property developers who had no building qualifications, after a digger on the site of a joint retail/residential development struck a load bearing wall and brought part of the building down, plunging three residents into the dust and rubble below.

Naveed and Rizwan Hussain were trying to create an Indian restaurant in Brook Hill, Sheffield, South Yorkshire – but ended up leaving thee people injured and 20 students homeless, the Daily Mail reports.

Those injured included a workman, a doctor’s wife and a student, who suffered minor injuries when the building collapsed. The court was told that fortunately most of the students living in the block were out at the time of the incident.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation into the incident – which occurred in March 2013 – and bringing the case against the Hussain brothers cost £150,000.

HSE investigators said the brothers’ actions constituted a “flagrant disregard” for health and safety regulations.

Sheffield Crown Court heard that neither Naveed, 33 – a city landlord – nor Rizwan, 39, had any building experience, qualifications or planning permission for the structural works.

The court also heard that Rizwan – who managed a shop in the building – and Naveed, who was the landlord of the flats above, were hoping to extend the site and re-open a former Indian restaurant on the premises.

The prosecution said the flats above the retail premises were occupied by Sheffield University students, as well as the doctor and his wife.

The court heard that a builder and a structural engineer had been consulted over plans to lower the level of the floor and make the proposed restaurant open-plan. However, the brothers dispensed with their services.

A planning application was submitted, but permission had not been granted when construction work on the restaurant started around four weeks before the three-storey building collapsed.

Naveed had brought in an excavator and began removing rubble himself, with the help of an odd job man who was injured in the collapse; while Rizwan instructed other workmen. Pillars and internal walls were removed on site, the court was told.

Students began to complain about the noise and cracks appearing in their walls – and the doctor who lived in the block was shocked to find that the underside of a laminate floor in his own flat was only propped up by steel beams as the structure was slowly taken apart. Naveed had reassured him that there was no need for the doctor and his wife to leave their flat.

After the building collapsed, Sheffield Council demolished the premises on safety grounds. A structural surveyor who inspected the collapse said that the structure had been made “inherently dangerous and a serious accident was foreseeable”.

Naveed and Rizwan admitted two offences involving breaching HSE regulations by failing to ensure themselves and their employees were not exposed to risk – and failing to take steps to prevent danger to another person.

Rizwan also admitted breaching a prohibition notice.

At Sheffield Crown Court, Naveed and Rizwan Hussain were jailed for 12 months

Naveed was fined £40,000 and Rizwan was handed a £42,000 fine. Naveed was also ordered to pay £60,000 in costs and Rizwan £40,000 in costs.

Judge Michael Murphy told the brothers that their breaches of the regulations were “blatant and financially motivated”.

“People were terrified and there was inconvenience to untold numbers of people in Sheffield.

“The potential for disaster was staring everyone in the face, apart from you.

“There was potential for a complete disaster. It was caused by your arrogance and greed,” he added.

Duncan Lewis Personal Injury Lawyers – No win no fee Professional Negligence Claims

Duncan Lewis no win no fee personal injury lawyers can advise those who have suffered injury as a result of negligent or faulty building or construction work on how to make a no win no fee professional negligence claim for compensation, including claims relating to:

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• Plumbing work
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• Structural failures.

Personal injury claims usually have to be made within three years of injury – and children can claim compensation up to the age of 21.

For expert legal advice on no win no fee Professional Negligence Claims relating to faulty building works, call Duncan Lewis personal injury lawyers on 020 7923 4020.


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