landlordtragedycourt

Reporting local life since 1854 40pFriday, June 1, 2012

SEN

-eO1

-S2

[P]

[P]

Repairs were not made on house where pregnant mum died

LANDLORD FACESCOURT OVER DAMPBY ALEX CAMPBELLalex.campbell@thesentinel.co.uk

A LANDLORD is to be prosecuted forfailing to repair damp and mould prob-lems at a house where a 25-year-oldpregnant mum died suddenly with achest condition.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is takinglegal action after the landlord refusedcalls for repairs to be carried out at theFenton home where Stacy Bowman diedin her sleep.

Widower Lee Bowman believes thecondition of the property may havecontributed to her death.

Now Lee is demanding to know whythe council did not use its powers torepair the property and recover its costsfrom the landlord.

The 32-year-old barman, who hasmoved to Rhyl following Stacy’s death,said: “Stacy went to sleep and never

woke up. The worst part was when theparamedics came and said they couldn’tdo anything. It was the worst moment ofmy life. The damp and the mould wasreally bad.”

The Land Registry states the owner ofthe property to be Saint Pir Pandar-iman.

Mum-of-one Stacy, who is believed tohave complained of several chest infec-tions after moving into the OldfieldStreet house in August, was fivemonths’ pregnant with the newlywedcouple’s first child.

The Sentinel has learned the councilreceived a complaint about the con-dition of the two-bedroom terrace froma previous tenant.

Environmental health officersinspected the property after theBowmans moved in and served the land-lord with an enforcement notice mak-ing them legally obliged to complete thework by November 25.

Inspectors visited again on December2 and discovered the landlord had stillnot carried out the repairs. Stacy diedon December 4.

A post mortem revealed the cause ofdeath to be inflammation of the heartand lungs.

Tony Oakman, director of people ser-vices at the council, said: “Shortly afterMr Bowman moved into his rentedproperty in August 2011 an environ-mental health officer inspected it.

“This inspection revealed somerepair issues.

“While these issues, we believe,would not have had a significant impacton the occupiers’ health or safety, thehousing standard team served anenforcement notice on the landlordrequiring them to complete the repairworks by November 25.

“During a re-inspection onDecember 2 it was identified that thelandlord had not completed the repairwo rk s.

“The council is preparing a prosec-ution case against the landlord for notcarrying out the repairs.”

Fenton-based Mr Pandariman wasunavailable for comment yesterday.

Stab accuseddue in courtA MAN was due to appear incourt today charged withattempted murder.

George Simpson, aged 58,was expected to attend apreliminary hearing atStafford Crown Court.

Simpson, of Beverley Drive,Bentilee, is accused ofattempting to kill 49-year-oldmother-of-six Carol Bailey.

Carol, of Abbey Hulton,suffered stab wounds in anincident in Abbey HultonRoad on May 21.

The grandmother was takento the University Hospital ofNorth Staffordshire afterbeing injured with as c rewd r ive r.

The mother-of-six is nowbeing cared for at home by herf amily.

PAGES 4, 5 & 58

HAPPIER TIMES: Lee and Stacy Bowmanon their wedding day.

THERE’S ONLY TONY PULIS

2 FOR 1ENTRY AT

SEEPAG E

18

TR ANSFERBLOW FORVA L I A N TS

BACK PAGE