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Defendants plead guilty to manslaughter and now await sentence

Two men have been convicted of manslaughter after a 15-year-old labourer was crushed to death by a wall on a site just north of London in Hadley Wood. Colin Holtom and Darren Fowler were convicted at the Old Bailey following the death of Adam Gosling. Both men will be sentenced on Monday 20 July, 2009.

On April 23, 2007 police were called to the site following reports that a wall had collapsed. Adam was working as a casual labourer and was trapped beneath a wall which was being demolished. The emergency services managed to free him but he died at the scene from head injuries and a fractured skull.

Police Detective Inspector Pete Basnett, said: “we are pleased with today’s convictions which should serve as a clear warning that health and safety laws are there for a reason and ignoring them can have tragic consequences. Holtom left two inexperienced young workers working at a wall already deemed to be dangerous without supervising them or giving proper instructions on how the work was to be carried out.” 

Simon Hester, HSE investigating inspector said: “The management and set-up of this small construction project was appalling. Adam Gosling should never have been there at all as 15 year olds have been banned from working on construction sites since 1920. There was a complete disregard for basic health and safety requirements – inadequate personal protective equipment, no risk assessments, no training and minimal supervision. There were no welfare facilities on site and the workers were not even covered by Employees Liability Insurance.”

This article was posted on 14th July 2009 in ALL LATEST NEWS, MANSLAUGHTER, PROSECUTIONS, collapse structure.
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