Tower Hamlets flat ‘grossly overcrowded’ ahead of fatal e-bike fire, court told

• Anila Dhami reports from outside Snaresbrook Crown Court

A husband and wife landlord team rented out a “grossly overcrowded” east London flat where an e-bike fire led to the death of a tenant, a court has heard.

Father-of-two Mizanur Rahman, 41, died from the effects of smoke inhalation after the fire in the early hours of March 5 2023 at Maddocks House in Shadwell.

Parents-of-six Sofina Begum, 52, and Aminur Rahman, 55, had previously pleaded guilty to a total of nine housing offences.

Judge Emma Smith, sitting at Snaresbrook Crown Court, said she was looking at sentencing the couple, of Wapping, east London, not on the fatality or the fire, but on the housing offences which they pleaded guilty to in November 2023. This could mean a fine.

Gemma Gillett, for Tower Hamlets Council, who brought the case, told the court: “It is clear that the property was, and had been considerably for some time, grossly overcrowded.

“The information available suggests that some 23 people were in occupation of the flat. One of the occupants was taken to hospital and subsequently died.”

Tenants were told not to use the flat as a postal address as it could get the couple in trouble, the court heard.

Former residents of the flat have said they paid about £90 a week, where some shared beds or slept on the floor of the two-bedroom ex-council flat. There were 18 beds, including bunk beds, at the property.

The blaze was started accidentally by a faulty lithium ion e-bike battery that was charging at the time, the London Fire Brigade have said.

Investigations are still ongoing and a civil matter has already been lodged.

Begum, whose name was on the licence, has pleaded guilty to six offences including knowingly permitting unlicensed occupation, four counts of failing to comply with licence conditions and failing to comply with the requirements of a licence notice.

Rahman, who collected the rent and was the person responsible for the property, has pleaded guilty to one count of each of these three offences.

They failed to allow regular inspections, did not have a current gas certificate and did not produce the documents required of them as the controller or manager of a the property.

After the fire, Rahman told a liaison officer that he rented the flat to two people and he did not know who the others were.

But one of the residents told liaison officers that he paid rent to Rahman.

Ms Gillett said: “At this point, Mr Rahman claimed not to speak English and the conversation ended.”

She said the “overall picture was of a property of longer term occupiers and transient individuals”.

The property has been repossessed by the bank.

The judge noted that a month after the fire, Begum made an application for an extension of the lost space which did not mention the fire or that the property was uninhabitable, and said she was living at the flat and it was overcrowded.

The judge also noted that this event took place after the charges she was dealing with.

The defendants say that a “rogue manager”, who is called Mr Raja, helped them with the property but prosecutors say this person is Rahman.

Harun Matin, defending, said the couple, who have been married for 30 years, are living at a relative’s home and are being both “emotionally and financially supported” by their adult children.

He said: “They trusted a rogue manager. This was during Covid and they found it easier for this third party to help with the property.”

Mr Matin added: “What the two defendants put forward is that they knew there were more people than permitted to be – however, they had no knowledge of the actual number of people staying.

“They have become aware since that some residents were effectively renting out their space.

“There were things happening and people staying in the property that they did not have knowledge of.”

Begum lost her job helping children with special needs after her conviction and Rahman, who was a butcher, is no longer working.

She was described as being of “low education” and British-born by Mr Matin, while Rahman has been living in the UK since he was a teenager.

Mr Matin said “it is clear Ms Begum and Mr Rahman accept that they failed in their obligations” as he suggested that their behaviour was not due to deliberate deception.

The judge called for more information about the impact a confiscation order might have on any civil claims.

The couple were unconditionally bailed to appear at the same court for sentencing on March 6.

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