Chippenham flat gas blast-accused builder not guilty

Debris from the Chippenham flat following the explosion

A builder who worked on a flat destroyed in a gas blast that left a man with serious injuries, has been cleared of health and safety breaches.

Roderick Standing was found not guilty after the explosion in Chippenham, Wiltshire in October 2017, leaving Kyle Roe with 87% burns to his body.

A pipe was sawn-off at the flat during work, allowing gas to build up inside, Salisbury Magistrates' Court heard

But magistrates said they could not be sure Mr Standing carried out gas work.

The court was told Mr Standing was accused of a health and safety breaches while the building in Market Place was being converted into flats in 2014.

However, it could not be determined who had disconnected the gas supply or who left the pipe uncapped.

Kyle Roe was in an induced coma for seven weeks and has undergone 13 skin grafts

Mr Standing, 63, of Station Road, Corsham, said: "We did no work on the old heating system apart from the boiler and radiators which were already disconnected."

Magistrates said Mr Standing was "an entirely honest and reliable witness" and they "cannot be sure he did any work on the heating system".

The flat blew-up when Mr Roe turned on a light switch on 18 October, 2017.

"I thought I was on fire. I stumbled down the stairs, ripped open the front door, screaming for help," he said in a statement read to the court.

"Someone came to help me, took me to a nearby nail bar and tipped buckets of water over me."

'Start to move on'

Mr Roe's parents Chris and Tracy said they were "disappointed" that they were unlikely to ever find out who cut the pipe.

"Our son has to try and live with his injuries and disabilities and adapt his way of life," they said.

"[But] we are glad this criminal investigation is now over and we as family can start to move on."

As part of the case, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) also brought a prosecution against Prestige EA Ltd, now liquidated, over health and safety breaches regarding asbestos.

It admitted the charge and was fined £2,000 and ordered to pay £3,120 in court costs for failing to obtain the relevant asbestos survey.