Gas engineer James Morris, walked free from court on Tuesday - after he "patched up'' a lethal boiler which claimed the life of a Brentwood nursing home worker.

The day after he worked on the device in February 1997, Catherine Walsh, 50, was found dead in the living room of her Costead Manor Road home by her husband Dennis.

Morris, 44, of Collier Row, Romford, admitted manslaughter at Middlesex Guildhall Crown Court.

The court heard that in a double tragedy Mr Walsh, 52, had died of heart disease in July last year, and, if the case had gone to trial, a statement he left would have been read out to the court. Morris, a sub-contractor, for Master Boiler Technicians of Romford, was called in by the Walsh's when their boiler stopped working.

Morris realised it was dangerous and warned Mr Walsh not to use it and to have a new one installed.

But the court heard Mr Walsh pleaded with Morris to switch the installation on because he wanted to have a bath.

Prosecuting, Linda Dobbs, QC, said: "As Morris left he told Mr Walsh: "Watch the pilot light, it is dangerous. If it does go out press the button on the side and that will give you hot water.

''She said Mr Walsh had a hot bath the next day and went to a pub. "When he got back at about 9.30pm he went looking for his wife and found her dead.''

A post mortem later revealed Mrs Walsh died from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Mrs Dobbs told the court the boiler showed a number of danger signs such as condensation, soot marks and staining of the wall which should have indicated to Morris it was extremely dangerous.

He was later interviewed by police and admitted he did not inform the gas suppliers, Transco, of the fault so they could immediately disconnect the supply, as he should have done. He told them: "That is where I fall down really. Basically I suppose I screwed up."

Handing out a 12 month jail sentence, suspended to two years, Judge Fabyan Evans, told Morris: "You did try to help somebody else out of a fix."

He said the public had a right to expect gas engineers to ensure the safety of a boiler. "Any requests must be vigorously resisted.

"No doubt, partly trying to be helpful, you agreed to patch up the appliance. You acknowledge in doing this you were grossly and criminally negligent.''

He suspended the jail sentence because there were ''exceptional features.'' The boiler had been leaking carbon monoxide for some time.

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