Construction Company Fined

A construction company and two of its directors have been fined a total of £75,000 following the death of a member of the public.

Lewes Crown Court heard that 24-year-old Edward Dean was on his way home from a night out in Brighton when he wandered on to a construction site owned by PIB (UK) .

It is believed that Mr Dean was killed by a 2.4-metre fall into a basement. He was found dead the next morning.

PIB, John Blankson and Steve Moore all pleaded guilty to health and safety violations.

The company was fined £30,000 and ordered to pay £6,500 in costs.
Mr Moore, of Woodingdean, was hit with a £30,000 penalty, cots of £6,500. He was also disqualified from acting as a director for five years.

Mr Blankson, of Brighton, was fined £15,000 and told pay costs of £3,465.

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David Urpeth from law firm Irwin Mitchell said: “The construction industry is the industrial sector where a worker is most likely to lose his life following a work accident.

“However, as this tragic accident shows, construction can also pose a serious risk to members of the public.”