A jury at Manchester Crown Court has convicted demolition contractor Alan Thomson of gross negligence manslaughter following a three week trial before Mr Justice Mark Turner. The jury also convicted a second contractor, Michael Smith, of three offences including endangering the safety of others contrary to s.3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act. The defendants’ companies, Building and Dismantling Contractors Ltd and C Smith (Rochdale) Ltd had pleaded guilty to health and safety offences at the start of the trial.
The case was prosecuted by Andrew Thomas QC leading Matthew Corbett-Jones of Linenhall Chambers, Chester. The case followed the death of demolition worker Scott Harrower who fell from the roof of a disused store in Stockport in January 2014. The fatal accident followed an earlier fall involving another worker at the same site who had suffered ‘life changing’ injuries. The jury heard that the men had been sent up to work on the roof with no plan or method statement, inadequate safety equipment and no supervision. The defendants will be sentenced on 8th April 2016