Repeat offender fined $14,000 after illegal gasfitting posed "extreme risk" to public safety

• Kevin Harris has been fined $14,000 in the Auckland District Court on four charges relating to unauthorised gasfitting and sanitary plumbing
• The fine included a $1,000 increase for previous similar offending, despite earlier warnings and prosecutions
• Gasfitting work undertaken on a commercial food trailer was assessed as posing an “extreme risk to health and safety”, including the risk of a gas leak and explosion.

Kevin Harris was fined $14,000 in the Auckland District Court after continuing to carry out unauthorised gasfitting and sanitary plumbing work, despite previous warnings and prosecutions.

Mr Harris was sentenced on 15 October 2026 on four charges relating to work carried out in March and April 2025. Mr Harris did not appear for sentencing. In his absence, Judge Mathers adopted a global starting-point fine of $13,000, reflecting the aggravating features of the offending, and increased it by $1,000 because of his similar previous offending. The Court also ordered Mr Harris to pay reparation costs of over $1700 to his previous clients plus solicitor and Court costs.The charges included two counts of unauthorised gasfitting, one of unauthorised sanitary plumbing, and one of carrying out an act intended to cause, someone to believe he was registered and licensed as a gasfitter.

Mr Harris previously held exemptions permitting him to carry out gasfitting and sanitary plumbing under supervision. Both exemptions expired on 31 March 2021. He has never been registered and licensed as a gasfitter or plumber and has not been authorised to carry out either type of restricted work since those exemptions expired. Despite being warned by the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board (the Board) in 2022 to stop carrying out restricted work, he continued offending. He was fined $5,300 in March 2023 and a further $13,200 in December 2025 for similar offences.

Extreme risk to public safety

In March 2025, Mr Harris installed a gas griddle and associated pipework in a commercial food trailer. During transportation, the griddle fell from its bench, damaging a connected gas pipe. A Board technical adviser subsequently identified inadequate restraints and unprotected gas pipework, assessing the installation as “posing an extreme risk to health and safety”. The defects created a serious risk of gas escaping into the confined trailer, potentially causing an explosion.

In a separate incident, Mr Harris carried out unauthorised plumbing and gasfitting at an Auckland home, including installing a gas water heater, LPG bottles and pipework. He subsequently provided the homeowner with a Gas Safety Certificate signed by him as “Certifier”, despite not being authorised to issue one.

Board response

The Board welcomed the relatively high fine as case was particularly concerning. Mr Harris had previously acknowledged that he was not authorised to carry out gasfitting, had been warned to stop, and had previously been prosecuted for unauthorised work. Mr Harris also did not engage with the Board’s investigation into the latest offences.

“This is not the first time Mr Harris has come before the courts for this type of offending. He has previously been prosecuted and sentenced for unauthorised work, yet he has continued to work as a gasfitter. One of the installations was assessed as posing an extreme risk to health and safety, including a serious risk of a gas leak and explosion. This case demonstrates exactly why gasfitting is restricted work.

“People need to be able to trust that someone carrying out gasfitting in their home or business is properly trained, competent and authorised to do the work. We encourage homeowners and businesses to always check the Board’s public register before engaging someone to carry out plumbing, gasfitting or drainlaying work.”

Note: image is illustrative only