A rogue electrician, who amassed a small fortune by illegally diverting the power supply to over 1,500 new properties, faces losing the profits of his moonlighting operation.
Ex-EDF Energy Networks employee Derek Brown, 45, of Hamilton Close, Tottenham, North London utilised his knowledge to illicitly supply electricity to house conversions.
He pleaded guilty at Wood Green Crown Court to ten counts of criminal damage to EDF’s main electricity service cable at locations across Haringey between 2004 and 2008.
He was only caught after a concerned member of the public called police on July 12, 2008 to report Brown working down a hole on the electricity supply without permission.
The counts reflect addresses in Roseberry Gardens, Finsbury Park; High Road, Wood Green; Mount Pleasant Road, Tottenham; Haringey Road, South Tottenham; Downhills Park Road, Tottenham; Stanhope Gardens, South Tottenham; Woodside Gardens, Tottenham; Cunningham Road, South Tottenham; West Green Road, South Tottenham; Philip Lane, South Tottenham.
He was sentenced to eight months imprisonment, suspended for a year and ordered to perform 150 hours community service work.
Brown (pictured) also faces a financial investigation and a confiscation hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act, which will determine the extent of his illegal service.
Cash totalling £28,000 was seized at his home during a police search and enquiries will be made into other assets.
On the day of his arrest police found Brown tampering with the electricity network without authority from EDF Energy Networks.
Police made checks with the electricity distribution company and found Brown was a former employee without authority to be carrying out the work.
He was arrested on suspicion of abstracting electricity and officers carried out searches of his van and home address where they found a substantial amount of EDF property and equipment, including uniform and three ledgers detailing every address he had worked at since he resigned from the company in June 2002.
It is believed that over 1,500 addresses have had illegal connections implemented by Brown. Many of which are still being investigated and corrected by EDF Energy Networks to this day.
Detective Constable Kerry Burgess of Haringey CID said: “This was a lengthy and complex investigation undertaken by police with the assistance of EDF Energy Networks.
“In many cases we believe that Brown was carrying out work for houses being converted into flats and splitting the connection from the mains in order to allow each property to have a separate supply.
“The landlords claimed that they weren't aware because the work had been arranged by contractors who now have the inconvenience of having to arrange for the illegal services to be removed and new services to be properly and safely installed.
“It is a criminal offence to interfere with the electrical mains network and poses a huge safety risk to those who do so as well as to those who are left to live with the results.”
David Shepherd, head of security for EDF Energy added: “We take cases like this very seriously and welcome today's prosecution.
“EDF Energy Networks is committed to providing a safe, reliable electricity service and anyone who tampers with our electrical equipment is risking their lives and those of others who could come into contact with damaged equipment.
“Like any large organisation, we have clear procedures and review systems in place to guard against the risks of illegal behaviour and we will always assist the police with their investigations and support prosecution.
“When the police received information in July 2008 that somebody was tampering with the electricity supply, we worked together with the investigating team to help establish what had been happening.
“We are currently working to complete the restoration and repair of equipment so that people will have safe and reliable power supplies in future.
“It is important to stress that Derek Brown resigned from his role with EDF Energy Networks in 2002, and these offences relate to a later period.”
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