A landlord serving a 30-month prison sentence, after his tenant almost burnt to death when she was trapped inside his property, has had his jail term reduced after he paid her £20,000 in compensation.

Michael Billings, aged 55, of Ashman’s Hall, Barsham, Beccles, Suffolk, was told by Judge Paul Downes at Norwich Crown Court that the sentence he had been given for admitting numerous breaches of health and fire safety law had now been reduced to 21 months
At a previous hearing, Judge Downes had informed Billings that he would review the sentence if Billings ‘showed a gesture of remorse’ by paying the victim £20,000.

After reducing the sentence at the recent hearing Judge Downes went on to commend health and safety investigator John Claxton, together with paramedic Christopher Scott, and two police officers Mark Hagon and Robert Warrent who helped rescue Layla Skalli.

The 20-year-old suffered 80 percent deep tissue burns all over her body following the blaze at her the flat in Magdalen Street, Norwich, and required pioneering skin grafting techniques to save her life.

The charges against Billings, following the fire on 14 April 2009, were brought by both the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service who discovered he had failed to provide even the most basic protection for his tenants, such as fitting a working fire alarm system, installing the correct number of fire doors or providing adequate means of escape. The gas appliances in the flats above the shop had not been serviced or properly inspected.

The drama was treated as a potential manslaughter case and the multi-agency investigation involved Norfolk Police, HSE, Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service and Norwich City Council. The cause of the blaze has never been conclusively found.

Michael Billings was charged by the HSE with four counts of breaching Section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and one count of breaching Regulation 36(3)(a) of the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. The first four counts related to his four properties affected by the fire.

He was charged by Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service with nine counts of breaching Article 32(1)(a) of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Orders 2005.