Property Firm Director Sentenced After Apprentice Joiner Killed in Bangor
Published on 07/12/2026 at 16:50 | Redaktion boerse-global.de
A property company director and his firm have been handed suspended prison sentences and fines following the death of an 18-year-old apprentice joiner at a construction site in Bangor. Chloe Bidwell died in December 2023 when a stack of unsecured plasterboard fell and crushed her while she was working — an incident the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) says was entirely preventable, with serious implications for employers across the UK.
David Horrocks, 45, a director at Varcity Living Ltd, received a 26-week suspended prison sentence. The company was ordered to pay a £50,000 fine along with costs exceeding £10,000.
Systemic Failures in Workplace Safety
HSE investigators found that the site lacked a safe storage system for heavy materials and failed to implement a lone-working policy. There was also no adequate supervision of the apprentice at the time of the accident.
During the legal proceedings, the presiding judge described the company's risk assessments as effectively worthless, citing a systemic failure to manage workplace hazards. The court heard that the apprentice was working alone when the unsecured boards shifted, leading to the fatal outcome.
Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, employers have a legal duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of all employees — including apprentices. This includes providing safe systems of work, adequate supervision, and appropriate training.
Speaking of legal duties, many UK employers are unknowingly violating the Health & Safety at Work Act. A free toolkit offers a compliance checklist, risk assessments and a director’s liability guide to help you identify vulnerabilities and stay on the right side of the law. Download the free Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 Toolkit
Heightened Risks on Small Construction Sites
The sentencing coincides with a broader push by the HSE to address safety standards at smaller refurbishment projects. Recent inspections of small-scale sites found that nearly half fell below required safety standards. Common issues identified by inspectors included inadequate protection against falls from height and insufficient management of hazardous materials such as asbestos and silica dust.
The construction industry has seen several other high-profile enforcement actions in recent months. Other firms have faced significant financial penalties for failing to provide safe working platforms or neglecting to report serious injuries. A property firm in the northwest was previously fined £92,000 after a worker suffered permanent paralysis following a fall through roof joists.
Recent Fatalities Across the Sector
The sentencing of Varcity Living follows a series of other fatal incidents across the construction and waste management sectors.
On July 11, 2026, a construction worker died after falling from height at Birmingham Children's Hospital. The worker was employed by BSN Group Construction, and both West Midlands Police and the HSE have launched investigations.
Incidents like these show why robust risk assessments are so critical. A free toolkit provides 41 ready-to-use templates for fire safety, manual handling, lone working and more — helping you document hazards properly before they lead to tragedy. Download the free Risk Assessment Toolkit
In a separate incident on July 12, 2026, a 58-year-old subcontractor died at a landfill site in Coventry, Vermont. Thomas Feerick was thrown from an aerial lift platform when the machinery tipped over. Investigators noted that the worker was not wearing a safety harness at the time.
Additionally, in Belagavi, India, two labourers died on July 12, 2026, when a house they were repairing collapsed following heavy rainfall. Local authorities confirmed that the victims were buried under debris and succumbed to their injuries at a nearby hospital.
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