A MILLIONAIRE businessman and his foreman have been called to appear at Crown Court accused of manslaughter after a carpenter’s fatal fall.

Property developer Mike Holland, owner of Hove-based Cherrywood Investments, and Grant Oakes appeared in Brighton Magistrates’ Court last week to face the charge.

They were both released on bail until Thursday, May 12, when they must attend Lewes Crown Court.

In February last year, The Argus exclusively revealed Holland, 68, of King’s Road, Brighton, and Oakes, of Portland Road, Hove, formerly Elm Drive, were arrested by police over the death of David Clark, who fell 20ft at Stanmer Park on September 30, 2014.

Sussex Police and the Health and Safety Executive investigated the death.

They were on bail for more than a year until they were charged last month.

Holland is also accused of four other offences under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2014 – three counts of failure to discharge a duty, contrary to Section 33 of the act, and one count of neglect, contrary to section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

Emergency services battled to save 55-year-old Mr Clark, of Dyke Road Avenue, Hove, who was a sub-contractor for Holland’s company, after he was injured at a stable block next to Stanmer House. He was airlifted to hospital in a critical condition and died on October 28, 2014.