Builder is spared prison after leaking gas heater caused house explosion

MAN WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED IN BLAST AT PROPERTY THAT WAS UNDERGOING RENOVATION

- By RUCSANDRA MOLDOVEANU

A NOTTINGHAM builder has been spared a prison sentence after his failures resulted in an explosion which left a man with serious injuries.

Barry Newman, the sole trader of Foster Brother Builders, was contracted to refurbish a property on Commercial Road, Bulwell.

During the works, Newman, 58, placed a faulty portable space heater and connected it to a propane gas (LPG) cylinder in the property's cellar to dry out damp.

On November 22, 2022, a gas leak from the heater caused an explosion at the house, resulting in extensive damage to the property.

A 51-year-old man suffered severe burn injuries to his hands, legs, face and scalp during the incident.