Speedwell fire: Building owner sentenced for fire safety breaches

Firefighters gather outside the Strachan and Henshaw building in Foundry Lane, Speedwell, after a fire raged through the site in May 2019

The owner of a building in Bristol that was devastated by a fire has been given a suspended 18-month sentence for fire safety breaches.

Wayne Braund, the owner of the former Strachan and Henshaw building in Foundry Lane, Speedwell, admitted six fire safety breaches.

He has been given a 12-month suspended sentence for each of those breaches to run concurrently and was fined £25,000.

A blaze broke out at the site in May 2019 - just six months after the last fire there

The breaches include failing to risk assess for possible asbestos violations and not ensuring firefighting equipment such as fire extinguishers were in place.

He was also given a six-month suspended sentence for failing to ensure a risk assessment to determine asbestos on the premises for another property on Moravian Road in Kingswood.

Judge Hart at Bristol Crown Court said Braund employees and the fire service were at risk through his actions as he "failed in a number of ways to protect people in the event of a fire."

Around 40 homes had to be evacuated because of the fire

On New Year's Eve 2018, a fire broke out at the site and the judge said it was "fortunate no one was harmed or worse."

Just six months later, another fire damaged the building causing significant structural damage.