Father not told about battery risks before Cambridge e-bike fire, inquest hears

A man who lost his family after an e-bike fire in Cambridge wasn't told about the risks of a faulty battery before it exploded, an inquest has heard.

Scott Peden's partner Gemma Germeney, their children Oliver and Lilly, and their two dogs died after a battery attached to the e-bike exploded at their home in Sackville Close in June 2023.

In a statement read to the court - including Gemma's family - Scott said his relationship with Gemma was the "backbone of everything in life; she was my world.

"My memories of my children will always be ones filled with laughter and joy.

"These past years, I’ve found it hard to find purpose and relive very day the tragic memories of that night."

E-bike in 'working order' before battery stolen

The court heard Scott bought an e-bike that was advertised online, so he could use it to and from work.

Scott, 33, told the inquest the e-bike was in "perfect working order", before he lost the key to the device while out with family and the battery was later stolen.

After buying a second-hand battery seen on Facebook, Scott said the e-bike battery had died while on his way home from work.

"A colleague at work had a better e-bike than mine; she noticed I had a similar bike and gave me a card with (Stoil) Severinov’s name and number on it," Scott said.

The court heard Scott visited Mr Severinov - who repaired different types of bikes - with Gemma's dad who bought a trailer large enough to carry the e-bike.

Scott said Mr Severinov thought the battery was too powerful for the fuse, to which he tried changing the fuse for £30, before the battery cut out a few days later.

'I had nothing in the bank'

Mr Severinov told Scott that "there was nothing wrong with the bike, but the battery," the court heard.

"He (Mr Severinov) didn’t explain what he was doing not until two or three of five battery cells have died and the battery needed replacing now," Scott said.

The court heard a few days before the fire, Scott asked Mr Severinov if he could get his e-bike battery replaced quickly as "it was close to pay day and I had nothing in the bank.

"That was when he advertised one of the batteries he sells."

Scott told the inquest that Mr Severinov "offered to bypass the cells if I would come back in two weeks to buy the battery off him".

'Massive bang'

After the second visit to his workshop, Scott told the inquest that Mr Severinov said ‘this is a temporary fix but could not guarantee how long it would work; he didn't tell me about the risks."

It cost Scott £10 on the second visit to his workshop because of less work, Mr Severinov said.

Days later, Scott recalled how he noticed the e-bike had been working better despite not being fully charged, before the battery exploded.

"Everything seemed to be normal," he told the court.

"It would be a massive bang that went through the entire house; it was like you were lying on wooden floor and someone dropped a bowling ball next to you."

In response, Mr Severinov said he changed the battery socket and fuse on Scott's first visit, before focusing only on the fuse when Scott returned.

It cost Scott £10 on the second visit to his workshop because of less work, Mr Severinov said.

'Passing glance'

The court heard from solicitor David Osborne, representing Gemma's mother, who asked Scott what he saw Mr Severinov doing while at his workshop.

In reply, Scott said "only at a passing glance; I was making wish list of how to make my bike look half decent again."

"(Mr Severinov) told me the battery was too powerful for the fuse and had to make a stronger connection between the fuse and the battery so the battery didn’t blow."

Mr Severinov told the court he mainly repaired push bikes as well as e-bikes for a few months leading up to the fire.

When asked by coroner Elizabeth Gray if he told Scott that some battery cells had failed on his second visit, Mr Severinov said he remembered checking the voltage on the battery.

"I remember saying it might be something to do with cells in the battery dying that might be a reason for loss of charge," he said.

"I remember telling Scott he needs a new battery; I told him there’s nothing I can do apart from changing the fuse and socket, it’s a temporary fix (and) it might happen again."

'I've never done anything like that in my life'

Miles Bennett, representing Scott, told the court that the e-bike is fitted with a battery management system (BMS), which checks if batteries are overheating.

Mr Bennett asked Mr Severinov that based on his experience in electrics, if someone had carried out work that appeared to bypass a battery management system inside the device.

"I never did anything regarding the BMS," Mr Severinov said.

"As far as I'm aware, (I only focused on) the connection from the battery to the fuse; the connection you're referring to was bypassing, never done anything like that in my life."

Mr Bennett said Mr Severinov told the Office for Product Safety and Standards that he didn't supply lithium-ion batteries for e-bikes.

In reply, Mr Severinov said "I don't sell batteries myself; I was trying to tell him (Scott) I could get a battery for him."

The inquest continues.

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