No jail for corporate manslaughter


A building firm and two executives have escaped lightly over the death of a building worker.


In January 2013, Gareth Jones died after a retaining wall collapsed on him as he worked to excavate land in St Albans, Hertfordshire.


Linley Development Limited, the company Gareth was working for, pleaded guilty to corporate manslaughter on 7 September, but on the 24 September the firm was fined just £200,000 and ordered to pay costs of £25,000.


Managing director Trevor Hyatt, and project manager Alfred Barker, pleaded guilty to contravening health and safety regulations on two counts, which had been found to be causative to the death. They both received six month prison sentences, suspended for two years. Hyatt was fined £25,000 and made to pay costs of £7,500, with Barker told to pay costs of £5,000.


During sentencing, Judge Bright said of Hyatt: “The aspect of your involvement which makes your culpability particularly high is that two days before the fatal accident you instructed your staff to carry out excavation work at an even lower level despite being advised that precautionary measure might need to be taken before doing so. I am satisfied that you chose to ignore that and that had you taken it, it is likely that Gareth Jones would still be alive today.”


www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-34188386


www.mynewsmag.co.uk/sentencing-following-the-death-of-a-man-in-st-albans