A woman who admitted breaching fire safety regulations following a fire at a Morecambe social club in which two men died, has been jailed.
Callum Goffin and Heather Goffin admitted 19 charges at a hearing in October.
Heather Goffin admitted 13 charges and has been sent to prison for eight months.
Callum Goffin pleaded guilty to six counts of failing to comply with fire safety regulations where failure to do so risked death or serious injury in the case of a fire.
He received a six month sentence, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid work.
A fire broke out at Gordon Working Men's Club on Springfield Street on the afternoon of October 9, 2019, after a gas canister ignited.
Two men were rescued from the building but died a short time later. They were named as John McCartney, 60, a handyman at the club, and 70-year-old Philip Townsend, a customer of the club, known as Tony.
Preston Crown Court heard that the business was run with Callum Goffin as the sole director through a family agreement, but it was Heather Goffin who was actually responsible for the day to day running of the establishment.
The court also heard that the fire safety book had not been updated for eight years, fire alarm batteries hadn’t been changed for the four years, and the fire alarm panel hadn’t been checked for three years.
Fire service area manager Matthew Hamer, speaking outside court after the sentencing, said: ‘’In the immediate aftermath of the fire, fire investigators discovered a significant number of breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order. The most serious included a failure to identify and control the risks associated with a fan heater using LPG bottled gas, and the inability to safely evacuate the building due to an external security door being locked, preventing the inner fire exit from fully opening.
Matthew Hamer added: ‘’First and foremost, the thoughts of everyone at Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service are with the families and friends of John and Tony, who lost their lives in this tragic fire.
“Visiting any premises should be a safe activity and no-one should be in a position where their lives are at risk because fire safety isn’t treated as a priority. The fire safety failings at the Gordon Club were extremely serious and led to the deaths of both John and Tony.”
All businesses must ensure that where fire exits are fitted with security measures, these do not prevent people from leaving safely in the event of an emergency.
‘’With the increasing costs of trading, businesses are facing more financial pressures. It is understandable that many business owners are making changes to save money. These changes may mean reducing staff, making alternative heating arrangements, or changing how building interiors are laid out or used.’’
IMAGE: The cylinder and heater which caught fire at the Gordon Working Men's Club in Morecambe. Picture: Lancashire Fire & Rescue Service.
Lisa McCartney, the daughter of John McCartney, said: “My mum and I are pleased with the custodial sentence that was passed today.
‘’We’ve waited a long for it and now we can try and comprehend what we’ve lost. My dad was vulnerable and died in a terrible way. We just hope lessons are learnt from this and we can pick ourselves up from it.”
Kelly Carr, the daughter of Tony Townsend, added: “We have waited a long time for this result. We are grateful for the dedication by the police and then the Lancashire Fire Service for getting this to court. The fire service secured this custodial sentence as they could evidence how horrific these circumstances where and how dangerous it was.
‘’My dad, Tony, a grandfather and great grandfather should not have died that day. He should have been able to get out. A custodial sentence is the only one that fits and reflects the seriousness of the multiple breaches of health and safety.”
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