In a landmark case, Giuseppe Sutera, also known as Joe Sutera, has been found guilty of a serious housing offence by Bristol Magistrates’ Court and has been ordered to pay a hefty fine of £44,270.26. The prosecution was brought against Sutera by South Gloucestershire council, who accused him of breaching an Emergency Prohibition Order (EPO) by letting a property with grave fire safety issues, jeopardizing the lives of his tenants.
During the court proceedings, Sutera refused to identify himself, stating only that he was “a man” and that Joe Sutera was “lost at sea.” This refusal led the court to rule that he was not present, and he was subsequently found guilty in absentia.
The court heard how an unannounced inspection of the property in Bristol was carried out last August following a complaint from one of the tenants. The inspection revealed alarming fire hazards that posed significant risks to the safety of the occupants. The shared kitchen was situated in the middle of the main escape route, and there were no fire doors in any of the bedrooms, nor any working smoke alarms within the property. Additionally, the secondary escape route was blocked due to a makeshift kitchenette located in the porch.
In October, the council served two notices to Sutera. The first required him to ensure that the property remained unoccupied until the fire risk was fully addressed, including necessary reconfigurations and the installation of suitable fire doors. The second notice aimed to establish ownership and obtain details of those with an interest in the property and their home addresses.
Despite the clear order to stop occupancy, Sutera ignored the warnings and continued to let the property. He even went as far as setting up new tenancies and allowing new tenants to move in, despite the EPO restrictions.
A spokesperson for the council expressed their zero-tolerance policy towards landlords who neglect their legal responsibilities in offering safe and suitable homes for their tenants. They emphasized the council’s commitment to working with landlords to bring their properties up to standard. However, in cases where informal approaches fail, enforcement actions like the one against Sutera will be taken to protect tenants and ensure their safety.
South Gloucestershire council is now aware of at least eight other properties owned by Sutera within the region. They have asserted their commitment to investigating these properties to safeguard the welfare of the tenants.
It has also been revealed that Sutera owns four licensed Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) within the Bristol local authority area, raising concerns about the conditions and safety of those properties as well.