A Director of a construction firm has been convicted after his worker was killed during development work.

Commercial Director of Siday Construction Ltd, Park Road, Hertford, Conrad Sidebottom, 46, was found guilty at Southwark Court last week on the 2nd December. Additionally, self-employed health and safety consultant Richard Golding, 43, of High Street, Hadleigh, Benfleet, Essex was also convicted.

The pair were sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on the 4th December, Sidebottom to three years and three months in prison and Golding to nine months. The men were charged following the death of labourer Mr Anghel Milosavlevici, 37, of Walthamstow, who was employed by Siday Construction Ltd to work on the renovation of a house in Fulham, for which Golding was contracted to provide health and safety advice.

Owners of the Victorian semi-detached residential property wanted the building renovated and a new lower ground floor constructed.

However, the excavations, which were not properly supported, collapsed and crushed Mr Milosavlevici, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

Following the accident, a building control officer working for the local authority found the house was potentially at danger of collapse and was served with a dangerous structure notice.

The jury heard that Sidebottom and Golding were aware of the dangerous state of excavations. However, it was heard that Sidebottom took no steps to ensure it was safe.

Golding was responsible for setting out a safety system for those working on the site. However, the document he drafted was inadequate and not followed.

An expert stated that Mr Milosavlevici’s tragic death could easily have been avoided had the basement work been better planned and managed by Conrad Sidebottom. “Had all the excavations on site been properly shored and propped the fatal collapse simply would not have happened,” he said.

“In addition, had Richard Golding inspected the site properly during his earlier visits he would have identified both that work wasn’t being carried out in accordance with a written safe system of work, and that the excavations posed a clear risk,”

They added: “By failing in his duty he allowed unsafe work practices to continue with devastating consequences.

 “Both parties are culpable and their failings are shocking.”

Golding had pleaded not guilty to failure of an employee to take reasonable care for the health and safety of others, contrary to the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

Homicide and Major Crime Command DCI Duffield felt there was overwhelming evidence that the pair’s failure to carry out their respective roles had directly resulted in the death of Mr Milosavlevici.

“In this case the danger of collapse was not only foreseeable; it had been specifically identified by Golding in his risk assessments,” DCI Duffield said. “Sadly, for Anghel’s family this lapse would have tragic consequences and give rise to his untimely death.”

A family statement described him as a kind-hearted and generous man and his death was a tragic loss.

“He worked for Conrad Sidebottom for more than two years before he was killed, but we were shocked to hear evidence at the trial about how dangerous the site had become, and how little concern Mr Sidebottom showed for the safety of everyone involved in the excavation works,” the statement said.

“We hope today’s verdict makes other construction company directors take stock of their own working practices, and ensure that they are doing everything possible to keep their workers safe.”