Court of Appeal upholds highest fine in fire safety

Mr Cedric Skyers, a wheelchair user, tragically died after he caught fire while smoking unsupervised in the garden of his care home.

The Court of Appeal has today refused a renewed application by BUPA Care Homes (ANS) Ltd for permission to appeal a fine imposed by Southwark Crown Court.

BUPA admitted breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and was fined a record £937,000 in January 2022 and ordered to pay £104,000 towards the prosecution costs.

The Court of Appeal upheld the Crown Court Judge’s finding that the care home’s accepted failures were causative of Mr Skyers’ death.

Saba Naqshbandi and Genevieve Woods represented the London Fire Commissioner both in the Court of Appeal and below.

Further can be read on the case here via the BBC.

The full judgment can be read here.

18th November 2022