Woolwich Man Receives 12-Month Sentence for Dangerous Gas Work on Elderly Resident's Home
A Woolwich man has been sentenced to a year in prison after fraudulently claiming gas engineering qualifications and illegally installing a boiler in a pensioner's Croydon home, putting the 90-year-old resident's life at serious risk.
Repeated Dangerous Offences and Fraudulent Certification
Israel Jackson, 56, of Sandbach Place, Woolwich, was sent by a contracted company to install a new boiler at the elderly man's Croydon property in May 2022. Despite never being registered with the Gas Safe Register (GSR), Jackson completed the installation and issued a fraudulent gas safety certificate containing a fake GSR licence number.
The dangerous work only came to light when the pensioner's relatives detected a gas smell and noticed the hot water system had failed. Jackson returned multiple times to attempt repairs, even after a British Gas engineer had issued an 'immediately dangerous notice' for the installation.
Ignoring Safety Warnings and Demanding Payment
In a particularly concerning development, Jackson demanded reimbursement for his taxi fare the day after the dangerous notice was issued, then returned to the Croydon property to ignore the warning and attempt further repairs on the faulty boiler.
It wasn't until June 2023 that another engineer from BT Heating and Property issued a second immediately dangerous notice, leading to the boiler's complete replacement. GSR inspectors subsequently confirmed Jackson had never been registered when he performed the original installation and provided the fraudulent certificate.
Previous Conviction and Ongoing Illegal Activity
Investigations by the Health and Safety Executive revealed this was Jackson's second prosecution for illegal gas work, having previously been convicted for similar offences in 2015. Despite this earlier conviction, he continued carrying out gas fitting work without ever registering with the Gas Safe Register.
HSE Inspector Lucy Ellison-Dunn stated: "Israel Jackson did not think that the law applied to him. Despite a previous conviction for the same offence, he continued to carry out gas work and in this case, putting the life of a vulnerable man at risk."
Company Failures and Public Safety Warnings
The HSE investigation found that U-Works, the company that contracted Jackson, made no attempt to verify his GSR registration before sending him to the Croydon job. The company received an immediate prohibition notice from HSE as a result.
Inspector Ellison-Dunn emphasised the importance of verification: "Customers rightly expect that employers will carry out the proper checks on those they contract to complete work. It is quick and easy to do this with the Gas Safe Register. I would ask all members of the public to verify an engineer's registration online."
Legal Consequences and Safety Regulations
Carrying out gas work without being on the Gas Safe Register is illegal under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. Unqualified gas work presents serious dangers including gas leaks, fires, explosions, and carbon monoxide poisoning.
Jackson pleaded guilty to contravening Regulation 3(3) and 3(7) of these regulations and received his 12-month sentence at Croydon Crown Court on February 4, 2026.
