Men jailed in absence over unsafe flats

Two company directors put residents’ lives at risk at Metro Court, West Bromwich, by breaching fire safety regulations, the fire service said

Two company directors fled the country after putting residents' lives at risk by breaking fire safety rules, a fire service said.

Carmen Lupu, Daniel Orasanu and First Job Ltd deliberately breached a prohibition notice served by fire safety inspection officers from West Midlands Fire Service.

As a result, the brigade said some 80 people, mostly Romanian nationals, living in four-storey Metro Court in High Street, West Bromwich, were at risk of death or serious injury.

The pair were jailed after a trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court.

In November 2016, after a referral from Sandwell Council, the service said its officers visited Metro Court, originally an office block, and found multiple fire safety breaches.

They included no power to the building's fire alarm system - which was also faulty - combustible materials in the staircase and numerous fire doors which were wedged or propped open.

The failures were so serious a prohibition notice was served, preventing anyone from using the premises as a home.

However, revisits over following months revealed people were still living there, the service said.

Residents were finally moved out after a closure order was issued in August 2017, the service said.

Lupu and Orasanu, who lived at Smestow Bridge Industrial Estate in Wombourne, fled the country in June 2018.

In their absence, they were found guilty of nearly 30 breaches of The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

On Thursday, 48-year-old Orasanu was sentenced to 34 months in prison and 34-year-old Lupu to 33 months.

They were also ordered to pay full prosecution costs totalling £66,708.