A company Director is being prosecuted after he designed a wall, and his company built the wall, which subsequently fell over and killed a child.
It's interesting that the prosecution is under H&S law (the Health and Safety at Work Act) rather than other legislation
A very sad situation for the child and family, but I wonder just how badly designed and built the wall was?
Telegraph news item
and
Statement from CPS
"Company director to face manslaughter charge for death of Meg Burgess
We have decided that George Collier should be charged with gross negligence manslaughter in relation to the death of Meg Burgess on 26 July 2008 in Prestatyn, Wales.
Meg Burgess, aged three, was killed when a wall designed by Mr Collier and constructed by his company, Parcol Developments Limited, collapsed on to a public footpath in Ffordd Penrhwyfla.
Rosemary Ainslie, reviewing lawyer for the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said:
“I have carefully reviewed all of the evidence gathered by North Wales Police and the Health and Safety Executive during their thorough investigation into the tragic death of Meg Burgess in July 2008.
“After considering reports from experts on construction standards and advice from counsel, I have decided that George Collier should be charged with gross negligence manslaughter for his role in designing and constructing the wall that collapsed. Mr Collier has been summonsed to appear at Prestatyn Magistrates’ Court on 3 October 2011.
“I have also decided that Parcol Developments Limited, of which Mr Collier was a director, should be charged with an offence under Section 3 of the Health and Safety Act at Work 1974. Section 3 requires all employers to conduct their business in a way that ensures, so far as is reasonably practicable, that others are not exposed to risk.
“I did consider whether Parcol Developments should also be charged with corporate manslaughter. There is sufficient evidence to prosecute the company for this offence, but it would not be in the public interest to do so. The company had only two directors and Mr Collier was the only one directly involved in this incident. The charge against him is sufficiently serious to address the alleged offending.”
Edit
Via google/daily mail site
It's interesting that the prosecution is under H&S law (the Health and Safety at Work Act) rather than other legislation
A very sad situation for the child and family, but I wonder just how badly designed and built the wall was?
Telegraph news item
and
Statement from CPS
"Company director to face manslaughter charge for death of Meg Burgess
We have decided that George Collier should be charged with gross negligence manslaughter in relation to the death of Meg Burgess on 26 July 2008 in Prestatyn, Wales.
Meg Burgess, aged three, was killed when a wall designed by Mr Collier and constructed by his company, Parcol Developments Limited, collapsed on to a public footpath in Ffordd Penrhwyfla.
Rosemary Ainslie, reviewing lawyer for the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said:
“I have carefully reviewed all of the evidence gathered by North Wales Police and the Health and Safety Executive during their thorough investigation into the tragic death of Meg Burgess in July 2008.
“After considering reports from experts on construction standards and advice from counsel, I have decided that George Collier should be charged with gross negligence manslaughter for his role in designing and constructing the wall that collapsed. Mr Collier has been summonsed to appear at Prestatyn Magistrates’ Court on 3 October 2011.
“I have also decided that Parcol Developments Limited, of which Mr Collier was a director, should be charged with an offence under Section 3 of the Health and Safety Act at Work 1974. Section 3 requires all employers to conduct their business in a way that ensures, so far as is reasonably practicable, that others are not exposed to risk.
“I did consider whether Parcol Developments should also be charged with corporate manslaughter. There is sufficient evidence to prosecute the company for this offence, but it would not be in the public interest to do so. The company had only two directors and Mr Collier was the only one directly involved in this incident. The charge against him is sufficiently serious to address the alleged offending.”
Edit
Via google/daily mail site