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E-bike battery in fatal Cambridge fire had undergone repairs, inquest hears
Overview
An inquest into a house fire in Cambridge that killed a mother and her two children has heard that the charging e-bike battery linked to the blaze had experienced prior issues and repairs. Gemma Germeney and her children Lilly and Oliver died in the June 2023 fire, while the children's father, Scott Peden, survived after jumping from a window. Peden told the inquest he had purchased a second-hand replacement battery online and visited a repairman, Stoil Severinov, who changed fuses and sockets. While Peden claimed the repairman bypassed cells as a temporary fix, Severinov denied touching the battery cells, stating he lacked the expertise.
Key points
- Gemma Germeney and her children Lilly and Oliver died in a house fire on Sackville Close in Cambridge on 30 June 2023.
- Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service stated the probable cause of the fire was a charging e-bike.
- The surviving partner, Scott Peden, told the inquest he bought a second-hand replacement battery online after his original one was stolen.
- Peden visited repairman Stoil Severinov twice, initially having a fuse changed and later returning when the bike cut out again.
- Peden claimed Severinov offered to bypass the cells as a temporary fix, but Severinov denied altering the cells, stating he lacked the expertise.
- The Office for Product Safety and Standards has investigated the matter, with no final decision yet made regarding criminal proceedings.