The daughter of a multi-millionaire publishing boss was killed when a plumber botched the job of fitting a boiler. Zoe Anderson, 24, was overcome by carbon monoxide fumes at the home of her father, Future Publishing founder Chris Anderson.
The deadly fumes had flooded the Victorian town house after leaking out of a flue pipe from a boiler fitted days earlier by Andrew Hartley, it was said. Bristol Crown Court heard how Hartley, 36, did a ‘rushed’ and ‘botched job’ – failing to secure the flue extension pipe correctly.
Zoe died within 30 minutes of being exposed to the poisoned air as she took a shower.
James Townsend, prosecuting, told the jury that Hartley, from Bath New Road in Radstock, admitted forgetting to secure the boiler with screws but claimed he correctly fitted the flue pipe.
The court was told how registered gas fitter Hartley fitted the new boiler in the garage of the Lower Lansdown home at a cost of more than £2,000 on December 16, 2010.
Expert tests found that the boiler’s flue pipe had not been properly attached to the turret elbow – and there was a gap of 22mm between them.
Zoe had flown to New York to see her father on the day before the fitting and returned a week later to spend Christmas with her mother and two sisters in the Lake District.Expert tests found that the boiler’s flue pipe had not been properly attached to the turret elbow – and there was a gap of 22mm between them.
She returned to the property on December 27 and made plans to meet a friend at 8pm the next day - but failed to show and could not be contacted.
On December 29, her boyfriend, Alastair Uhlig arrived at the house at around 6pm and used a spare set of keys to enter when he could not get hold of her.
He discovered Zoe slumped on the toilet of the shower room and attempted to revive her - but she was already dead.
Mr Townsend added: "Initially no one knew what had caused Zoe's death, it appeared to be a mystery but after an examination by a pathologist it was clear she had died from carbon monoxide poisoning."
Hartley was arrested on suspicion of Zoe’s manslaughter and immediately admitted he had neglected to fit the screws but maintained that the boiler had been correctly fitted.
He suggested that the flue pipe had become disconnected during the cold weather.
Mr Townsend added: “The prosecution say that the explanation, a desperate explanation, was put forward by the defendant to try to explain the botched job he had undertaken.”
The keen environmentalist's devastated father Chris, who left Future Publishing in 2001 and now runs digital conference organisation TED, took to the witness box for the first day of Hartley’s manslaughter trial.
The father-of-three told the jury of seven women and five men how eldest daughter Zoe had been due to fly out to her “dream” job in New York just four days after her death.
Hartley denies one count of manslaughter and one count of breaching gas safety regulations under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
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