Father Recounts E-bike Battery Repair Before Deadly House Fire

The battery of an electric bicycle had been modified in a workshop before it sparked a house fire that killed three people, an inquest was told. Gemma Germeney, 31, and her two children, Lilly Peden, eight, and Oliver Peden, four, died in the blaze at their home in Cambridge on June 30, 2023.

Scott Peden, the surviving father, gave evidence at a two-day inquest into his wife's death. He explained that he had purchased the e-bike, which he used for his commute, secondhand. Unable to afford a new battery for the £900 bicycle, he acquired a used replacement that frequently malfunctioned.

He was given the contact details of a repairman, Stoil Severinov. Upon his first visit, Mr. Peden was informed the battery was too powerful for the bike, and a fuse replacement was offered for £30. However, the battery continued to 'cut out.' Mr. Peden returned to Mr. Severinov's workshop, where he was told the battery needed replacement. He stated he could not afford a new one immediately, as he had no savings.

The court heard that Mr. Severinov then offered to 'bypass the cells' of the battery, a process that would reroute the electrical current around a weak cell. Mr. Peden intended to return later to purchase a new battery, but the fire broke out before he could.

Recalling the night of the fire, Mr. Peden described hearing a "massive bang that went through the entire house," likening the sound to "someone dropped a bowling ball" next to him. Firefighters from six crews responded to the blaze around 1 a.m. The property was severely damaged, with walls charred and windows smashed.

Cambridgeshire Fire Service had previously stated that the most probable cause of the fire was an e-bike that was on charge. The Office for Product Safety and Standards interviewed Mr. Severinov under caution, but no decision has been made regarding criminal proceedings.

Miles Bennett, representing Mr. Peden, informed the court that Mr. Severinov had told the Office for Product Safety and Standards that he did not supply lithium-ion batteries for e-bikes. Mr. Severinov stated in court that he does not sell batteries himself but could obtain one for Mr. Peden.

In a written statement read at the inquest, Mr. Peden described living with the "tragic memory of that night and the huge loss of the family I loved and lived for." Gemma Germeney's mother described her daughter and grandchildren as "sunshine on a cold dark night," adding that the family was "broken beyond repair."

Since the fire, Mr. Peden has advocated for a ban on the sale of lithium batteries for e-scooters and e-bikes, stating he was unaware of the dangers posed by these batteries before the incident and that there is a "desperate need for a change in regulation."