A Kingston landlord has been fined $30,000 after pleading guilty to three fire code violations connected to a 2023 house fire that killed two tenants.
Prithvipal Dadiala, 78, was sentenced Friday in provincial offences court over the blaze at 895 Montreal Street, where eight people were inside. Bonnie Demille, 35, and her boyfriend, Adam Crowley, 34, were on the second floor when the fire spread through the home. Both died.
Dadiala originally faced nine charges under Ontario’s Fire Protection and Prevention Act, but six were withdrawn after he pleaded guilty to three violations: inadequate fire-rated doors, failing to install a carbon monoxide alarm and failing to provide a fire extinguisher.
Investigators found an aerosol canister in the kitchen and could not determine whether it was connected to the fire’s ignition. Police determined the blaze was not criminal in nature. The court also heard that the evidence did not establish that Dadiala’s fire code violations directly caused the deaths.
The judge nevertheless described compliance with basic fire safety requirements as a fundamental responsibility for landlords. The city argued for a stronger penalty, noting that tenants at the property were vulnerable and had limited housing options.
The case also prompted Kingston to inspect other properties owned by Dadiala and his family, uncovering numerous building and fire code issues. His lawyer said nearly $300,000 has since been spent addressing problems at other properties.
The city had sought a sentence that could include jail time, while the defence argued that Dadiala’s age, guilty pleas, remorse and lack of prior offences made incarceration inappropriate. The court agreed, imposing $10,000 fines for each violation rather than jail.
Dadiala was also placed on probation for one year, during which he must comply with the court’s conditions and avoid similar offences.