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A leading fridge-freezer firm ignored safety fears over an appliance for seven years until a father died in a fire caused by a faulty timer, an inquest heard yesterday.
Beko’s former managing director Clayton Witter said the firm first had reports of fires starting in 2003, but did not feel the fault was serious enough to warrant a recall.
But he said the death of Santosh Benjamin-Muthiah, 36, “changed our view.”
Santosh died at home in Wealdstone, North London, in 2010 after helping his wife Dr Jennifer Benjamin rescue their two daughters.
Barnet Coroner's Court heard heard that the couple had discovered a problem with their fridge just days before the fire, but Dr Benjamin did not have time to call Beko because she was so busy with their baby.
Investigators found the fridge's manual open at the page with phone numbers to contact the manufacturer.
The fire was caused by a fault with the unit's defrost timer mechanism, the court heard.
Beko knew the appliance had defects, but the product was only recalled after the death of Mr Benjamin.
London Fire Brigade had also written to Beko after a number of fires on similar models, the court was told.
In a statement read to the inquest, Dr Benjamin said: "Since Santosh's death I am aware that Beko issued a voluntary recall of the relevant fridge-freezer models.
"I confirm that had I received notice of this recall I am adamant that I would have acted immediately and contacted the manufacturer for guidance."
She added: "Just prior to November 11 2010 our Beko fridge-freezer had been playing up a bit. I did not think it was anything serious.
"The freezer was meant to be frost-free, but the back panel was icing up and the defrost panel was not running.
"I had got the appliance manual out ready to call up to ask about it but did not get round to it because I was at home on maternity leave and busy with my new baby.
"As food was not spoiling I did not think that the frost issue was an important or urgent issue. The fire occurred just before I was able to contact Beko.”
She added that they did have smoke alarms, but they had not worked for a number of years.
The court heard that Mr Muthiah, a software engineer for Microsoft who was born in India, went to bed with his family at around 10pm on November 10 2010, all sleeping in the same room of their home in Grant Road.
At around 4.15am Dr Benjamin woke up coughing and went out to the landing, only to find flames downstairs and thick smoke.
She ran back to the bedroom, opened the window and screamed for help, before deciding to pass their children out to waiting neighbours, and for Mr Muthiah to go out next and help her down.
But after their baby was handed to neighbour Yacoub Al-Mansour, Mr Muthiah struggled to get out, and instead ran back into the house to find another exit.
Firefighters later found him slumped next to a sink in the bathroom after being overcome by smoke, and Dr Benjamin unconscious on the bed.
Paramedics fought to save Mr Muthiah after he had a heart attack at the scene and another later at an accident and emergency ward, but he died two days later in Northwick Park Hospital in Harrow.
A post-mortem examination found the cause of death was smoke inhalation.
Beko said anyone with a pre-2007 model should go to refsafety.beko.co.uk.
The Barnet inquest continues.
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