Roof fall fatality sees director receieve suspended sentence

Shane Offer was only 21 when he died. He had been working on the roof of a Rosebys bed shop in Bognor, West Sussex when he fell through a skylight. Paramedics had him airlifted to hospital, but his injuries were too sever for him to survive them.

An investigation ensued and the director of Southern Properties Maintenance, who Offer worked for, has now been prosecuted. Richard James has received a 6-month suspended prison term coupled with 150 hours community service. Coupled with that is a fine for £120,000.

The prosecution reflects four breaches of Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work Act. However, he was not convicted of gross negligence manslaughter.

Source: HSW