The cellar at the property had been converted into a basement flat without planning permission and the fire broke out in June 2019 with the tenant dying from his injuries 10 days later.

It is believed that the tenant had fallen asleep whilst food was cooking on the electric cooker where the fire broke out. The cooker was next to the internal door which opened inwards, didn't have a proper door handle and was the only available exit for an occupant to escape (the small single window to the"flat" having been blocked by debris outside the cellar).

Subsequent to the fire, the investigation by West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue and Leeds City Council found that the cellar (for which the tenant had paid rent of £75 per week) had been unfit for human habitation and that there had been no smoke detectors or fire alarms installed at the time of the fire.

Although the tenant did manage to escape he had suffered severe burns and had also inhaled a significant amount of smoke and, tragically, did not regain consciousness after surgery at the burns unit of Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield.

The landlord was arrested in March 2020 but denied that he was the landlord. However, the investigation by West Yorkshire Police and Leeds Council found that housing benefit payments had been made by the tenant into the landlord's bank account.

Handing down the sentence, Judge Andrew Stubbs KC (quoted in the Yorkshire Evening Post) said of the landlord "Nobody should have been living there. It was unsuitable for human habitation. You were aware of your obligations as a professional landlord. This was a flagrant disregard and you sought to minimise your responsibility. It was cost cutting and left a long standing flaw in the premises that had fatal consequences".

Detective Superintendent Marc Bowes (also quoted in the YEP) said "The death of [the tenant] in these circumstances was an absolute tragedy, but one that was entirely avoidable had [the landlord] taken his responsibilities to ensure a safe living environment seriously".

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