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Owner of roofing company faces start of manslaughter trial

Colin Cooper, the owner and director of IC Roofing Ltd, is currently on trial charged with the manslaughter of a young workman who fell 7m to his death through a rooflight in November 2005. Darren Hoofe, aged 20, was undertaking repairs to a roof on an Industrial Estate in Uckfield, East Sussex when he fell to the factory floor below. He died in hospital the following day as a result head injuries caused by the fall. Sussex Police and HSE carried out a joint investigation.

Comment: The company involved in this death is also being procecuted for offences under the HSW Act 1974. Such deaths at work that have occurred since 6 April 2008 will have been subject to police enquiries / investigation under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 (CMCH). In 2009 we may see the first CMCH cases coming before the courts. The hazard and precautions required whilst working on or near fragile roofs/rooflights are so well know that building owners, occupiers and contractors are all now likely to face a CMCH investigation in the event of a death in similar circumstances.  

This article was posted on 5th January 2009 in ALL LATEST NEWS, MANSLAUGHTER, PROSECUTIONS, falls fragile.
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