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‘Who turned off alarm?’ riddle over death blaze
Landlord may face legal action, fire investigator tells inquest
THE landlord of a house where a retired bus driver died in a fire two months ago could face legal action, an inquest has heard.
Michael Touhey, 65, died in his one-bedroom home in an Islington block after a lit cigarette ignited the bed he was sleeping in. A fire alarm was activated but was turned off by someone, the inquest was told.
Investigators giving evidence at the St Pancras inquest on Tuesday revealed they did not know who was responsible for deactivating the alarm. They confirmed it was routinely switched off due to the frequency with which it was triggered, said to be “most days” and often by nothing more than burning toast.
Residents in the six-flat block in Almeida Street denied silencing the alarm – which could be done via a key in a panel on a ground-floor corridor – but complained to detectives that the alarm was faulty and the key was routinely left in.
Islington fire investigator Sean Abott said the fire brigade was considering a “legal resolution” because of alleged failures by the landlord to comply with fire safety regulations. The landlord was not present in court and was not named.
Islington CID was initially involved in investigating the death on February 6 because head injuries found on Mr Touhey were inconsistent with the fire, sparking fears that he had been killed. It was later established they were surgical wounds from a recent cancer operation.
Fire investigator Dave Cook said a cigarette Mr Touhey was smoking in bed set fire to bedding, creating a thick acrid smoke that knocked him unconscious and defenceless against the flames.
He added: “The alarm system would have sounded. If it had been alerted, an evacuation would have been carried out and the fire discovered. Instead, it was turned off by some unknown person.” Coroner Dr Andrew Reid concluded: “Mr Touhey died as a result of an accidental fire at a time when the alarm in the building where he lived had been silenced.”
A council spokesman said: “The council has served an improvement notice on the landlord under the Housing Act 2004. This requires a number of changes to be made, including the property to be fitted with a working fire alarm.” Work must be finished by September 11.
“If the notice is not complied with an offence is committed and the landlord would face prosecution,” the spokesman added. |
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