Worker's fatal roof fall was 'wholly avoidable'

COMPANY FINED £225,000 AND BOSS GETS SUSPENDED SENTENCE

- By DAVID POWELL

A MAN died after falling through an Anglesey building’s fragile roof in a “wholly avoidable” tragedy. Leslie Bennion, who was 61, died after falling through a roof at the former Welsh Country Foods site in Gaerwen in 2018.

A court heard that the company boss responsible for the work had shown “remarkable” health and safety failings in the lead up to the tragedy.

Dominic Lakeman-Pettit, 34, had chosen a 45ft cherry picker for Mr Bennion and another worker to use to replace panels on the roof and walls of the building and annex, rather than wait for a 60ft cherry picker which hadn’t been available until later that week.

But Mold Crown Court heard the 45ft cherry picker - or Mobile Elevating Work Platform (MEWP) - wasn’t long enough. Mr Bennion and his colleague completed some work but when they reached one area Mr Bennion and his colleague climbed out of the “safe confines” of its basket onto the roof to finish the job. Mr Bennion fell 20ft to his death.