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Store's fireworks hoard 'endangered neighbours'




A THATCHAM shopkeeper endangered neighbours by having nearly 50kg of fireworks unsafely stuffed in the attic, Newbury magistrates heard.

The gunpowder-filled boxes were shoved in alongside matches, cases of spirits and electrical wires at 38 Green Lane in Thatcham, round the corner from Crown Mead Stores, the court heard on Thursday, April 16.

Alex Kirk, prosecuting on behalf of West Berkshire Council’s trading standards department, said: “It would have endangered occupants of neighbouring properties if an explosion had occured.

“Consideration was not given to potential sources of ignition nearby.”

In the dock was 33-year-old Harjit Singh Sandhu, who lives at the Green Lane property and whose wife ran the stores.

Mr Kirk said Mr Sandhu was sentenced to eight months imprisonment, suspended for two years, after being convicted at Reading Crown Court last year of handling stolen goods and perverting the course of justice.

As a result of investigations into those matters, the court heard, trading standards officers found the fireworks stuffed in the attic.

He said: “The premises were being used as an extension of the shop.

“The fireworks were stored alongside flammable materials.”

Mr Sandhu admitted storing explosives without taking appropriate measures to prevent fire or explosion as required by law, on August 5, 2013.

Mr Kirk concluded by asking magistrates to order Mr Sandhu to contribute £5,500 towards the council’s costs.

Nadine Colyer, defending, said her client, a father of two, is now a businessman who runs a Southern Fried Chicken franchise.

She said he bought the fireworks thinking he was being helpful to his wife and had not realised she had already stocked up with them.

She added: “He put them in the loft and clearly didn’t think about the repurcussions that could have happened.

“He made a huge mistake and, thankfully, nothing happened.

Referring to her client’s previous convictions, she said: “In July 2013 his world came crashing down.

“These offences were committed around the same time and form part of that same investigation.

“These offences predate his suspended sentence.”

Presiding magistrate Keith Kerr told Mr Sandhu: “The offence is aggravated by the fact that there were ignition sources nearby and other combustible materials in the area.

“We’re also persuaded that the storage was over a long period and that the fireworks were intended for resale for profit.”

Magistrates ordered pre-sentence reports to be prepared on an all- options basis, including custody, and Mr Kerr warned Mr Sandhu: “A financial penalty is not suitable in this case.”

Mr Sandhu was bailed until May 15, when he will be sentenced at Reading Magistrates’ Court.

After it emerged in February that police considered Mr Sandhu was “not a fit and proper person” to retain the licence for Crown Mead Stores, nor indeed to remain the designated premises supervisor following his Crown Court convictions, he told the : “I’d just like to say that I’m really sorry for what I’ve done, obviously.

“I’ve learnt my lesson.

“I’ve completed my community service within a very small time period and I’m spending most of my time in Southern Fried Chicken, which is where I work now, and I’m going to be keeping out of trouble surely and definitely for the near future.

“I’m an educated individual, I’m a graduate, I’ve made a mistake.

“Everybody has the right to make one mistake and I have and I’ve definitely learnt from it.”



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