Labourer left with half a head following fall

Grant Prior 14 years ago
Share

A labourer lost one side of his head and suffered severe brain damage after falling 25ft during demolition work.

Alan Hind,28, has been left with life changing features following the accident which saw his former boss convicted in court last week

The Daily Mail reported that Mr Hind suffered massive head injuries, including extensive skull fractures, a  badly broken jaw, a severed optic nerve that left him blind in one eye and irreparable brain damage.

He also suffered kidney damage and was left deaf in one ear following the February 2008 accident.

Surgeons carried out three complex operations and six months after his fall  used a titanium plate to replace a large section of shattered skull.

Parts of his brain were so damaged they had to be removed.

At Carlisle Crown Court, a jury convicted Mr Hind’s supervisor Eric Murray, 63,  who allowed him to work on the roof of a building at Watt’s Yard,  off London Road, Carlisle, without safety equipment or training.

Murray’s older brother Robert, 65, admitted two health and safety breaches at an earlier court hearing.

Following the trial, Mr Hind, recalled waiting for the plate to be inserted in his skull saying: “That was a frightening time.

“There was nothing to protect my brain – just skin. I was worried to go out.

“I  didn’t like to be around lots of people in case I bumped my head.”

Mr Hind, of Lockerbie, Scotland, has been unable to work since his accident. He welcomed the  guilty verdict but warned other young workers: “If it’s not safe, it’s not  worth it.”

His solicitor, Nick Gutteridge, said: “We are pleased to see the Murrays held to account but the tragedy is that this accident could have been avoided.

“Alan has been permanently disabled by his head injury: as well as the physical  damage to his hearing and sight, he also suffers pain, flashbacks, memory loss  and some personality changes.”

Eric Murray, from Dalton, near Lockerbie, Scotland, denied being in charge of dismantling  the building at Watt’s Yard on the day of Alan Hind’s accident.

But after a four-day trial the jury convicted him, accepting the prosecution argument that he was supervising the workmen and could have prevented the accident.

Brother Robert, from Annan, who had bought the building being dismantled, had  earlier admitted two health and safety breaches linked to the accident.

The trial heard evidence of how Eric Murray – who has years of experience in  erecting and dismantling buildings – allowed workers onto the roof of the  building without any proper safety equipment or without adequate training for safe working at height.

Mr Hind, whose usual job was as a slaughterman, had no previous experience of  working in the construction industry.

Murray said erecting scaffolding would have been too expensive and repeatedly claimed that he had simply been just one of the dismantling  team, working under the direction of his brother.

The brothers will both be  sentenced at Carlisle Crown Court on July 19.

Latest news

Construction buyers see fastest growth for 14 months

Commercial building work leads the way in April
13 hours ago

Go Modular Technologies files administration notice

Southampton bespoke volumetric specialist employs around 60 staff
16 hours ago

Cladding firm went down owing supply chain £7.7m

Debts revealed at Everton stadium cladding contractor Alucraft Systems Ltd
17 hours ago

Rydon dogged by legacy fire safety remediation costs

£19m spent on fire safety remediation work to date
17 hours ago

Carpenter killed by falling timber frame panels

Court fines specialist contractor £8,000 after site tragedy
4 days ago

Trio of builders win King’s Award for sustainability

Henry Brothers, Willmott Dixon and ZED Pods recognised for sustainability
16 hours ago

Kent police seize huge haul of stolen site tools

Hunt for power drill fitted with tracker busts tool theft ring
16 hours ago

Robertson names new Northern construction chiefs

Ian Phillips promoted and Ricky Brown joins from Morgan Sindall
17 hours ago

Road sweeper specialist files administration notice

Go Plant lodges court notice
5 days ago

Anglian Homes rides in to finish crashed Everest contracts

Rival doubled glazed window specialist commits to complete orders
5 days ago

Final work starts to connect super sewer to London system

End in sight with 1.5m thick concrete wall to be demolished to link-up to Lee Tunnel sewer system
5 days ago

Legal challenge launched against £1.5bn A66 dualling

Balfour Beatty, Kier and Keltbray must now await outcome of court challenge
5 days ago

John F Hunt wins 24-storey Battersea tower

Specialist to carry-out demolition, enabling works and RC frame construction
6 days ago

William Hare wins steelwork on £500m Broadgate towers

Specialist to work on 2 Finsbury Avenue with McAlpine
6 days ago

McAlpine appoints MD to grow ventures business

Owain Thomas will build on private rental and healthcare development successes
5 days ago

BAM Co-op Live Arena opening delayed yet again

Another gig cancelled last night amid last minute safety concerns
6 days ago

National Grid unveils winners for £9bn network upgrade

New 'enterprise model' to deliver infrastructure schemes quicker and cheaper
6 days ago

Turkish insulation panel maker to build £45m UK factory

Assan Panel to open first UK plant at Freeport East
6 days ago

Expanding consultant Stantec swoops for Hydrock

Stantec UK business expands by a third as 950 staff join from Bristol-based engineer
6 days ago

Contractors wanted for £800m highways deal

Bids invited for Eastern Highways Alliance Framework 4
6 days ago

Galliford Try names group head of infrastructure

David Lowery promoted to Divisional Managing Director – Infrastructure.
6 days ago

Chigwell Group looks at stock market listing

Essex contractor registers as Public Limited Company
7 days ago

A57 Mottram Bypass clears final legal challenge

Balfour Beatty to get go-ahead to start shortly
7 days ago

100 jobs axed as Geoffrey Osborne confirms administration

Chairman Andrew Osborne calls it a 'sad day' as board loses fight for survival
1 week ago

Midgard set for Notting Hill office tower overhaul

Landmark project edges towards final approval after 10-year planning saga
7 days ago

Cumbrian civils firm clinches £40m Sellafield contract

Civils specialist Stobbarts will support McAlpine on groundworks and concrete
7 days ago

Designers named for London 2000-bed student rooms job

Bouygues will build £400m London School of Economics student scheme next to Tate Modern
7 days ago

£117m-turnover contractor files administration notice

ARJ Construction lodges court notice
1 week ago

£1bn London Blackfriars tower blocks approved

Trio of buildings rising to 45, 40 and 22 storeys approved by Southwark Council
1 week ago

Council decides to end Balfour deal after 13 years

Contractor has been maintaining roads across Herefordshire since 2013
1 week ago

Contractor services