Hove ladder death: Two bosses face manslaughter trial

John Spiller and Steven Wenham are accused of manslaughter by gross negligence over the death of Graham Tester in Hove.

Mr Tester had been working at the former Lansdowne Place Hotel in Brunswick Street and reportedly died after falling from a ladder.

The alleged incident took place at 11.20am on July 27, 2018, where Mr Tester was rushed to the Royal Sussex County Hospital where he later died from his injuries.

At Lewes Crown Court both Spiller, 51, and Wenham, 47, are accused of breaching their duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act.

The former Lansdowne Place Hotel, now Dudley Mansions, in Hove

Works were being carried out by Spiller’s roofing company Southern Asphalt Ltd and by Total Contractors Ltd, where Wenham was a director.

Both men deny manslaughter, and in a plea hearing Her Honour Judge Shani Barnes told them they will face trial on March 14 next year.

Previously, The Argus reported how emergency services were called to the construction site.

Mr Tester had suffered life-threatening injuries and was rushed to the Royal Sussex County Hospital where he later died.

Police and the Health and Safety Executive were called in to investigate his death.

Spiller, of Fishersgate Close, Portslade, and Wenham, of Deans Road, Merstham, Surrey, were charged with gross negligence manslaughter as individuals and for breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act as company directors.

Police at the scene of the incident in Brunswick Street, Hove

The first charge alleges that they “unlawfully killed Graham Tester by gross negligence”.

It was claimed they “owed Graham Tester a duty to take reasonable care in the planning of, the preparation of, and the operation of roofing repair works at Lansdowne Place Hotel in Brunswick Street, Hove”.

The charge states the bosses “failed to ensure an adequate risk assessment, with no method statement prepared for roofing repairs”.

They “failed to provide or ensure the provision of scaffolding, allowing safe access to the roof and proper edge protection”, it was alleged.

The charge also accuses them of “failing to provide proper lifting equipment for transportation of roofing materials to the roof”.

It is alleged they “failed to provide or ensure the provision of measures to prevent or mitigate a fall from height”.

They also “instructed Graham Tester to commence roofing works knowing that adequate safety measures were not in place”, the charges state.

It was claimed that “these amounted to gross negligence” and that this “was the substantial cause of the death of Graham Tester”.

Police and health and safety experts were called to investigate the scene after Graham Tester's death in Hove

The Southern Asphalt Ltd and Total Contractors Ltd directors were also charged over their alleged role with the company for breaching health and safety laws in that the firms “failed to conduct its undertaking in such a way as to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, that persons in its employment were not exposed to the risk of injury or death by falling from height”.

The former Lansdowne Hotel was famous for hosting guests including Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill and James Bond and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang author Ian Fleming.

That company went into administration in 2013, and the site was derelict until repair works began to restore the building.

It was originally built in 1830 as six terrace townhouses which included the Dudley House private boarding school.

It became the Dudley Hotel in the 1880s, and became the Lansdowne Place Hotel in 2004. Now the building has been converted into flats as part of the Dudley Mansions.