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Family of Young Man Killed in Accident at Work to Challenge CPS Decision

The family of Daniel Dennis, who was killed in a workplace accident in April 2003 at the age of just 17, are to challenge a CPS decision not to bring manslaughter charges against his employer, North Eastern Roofing.

Fatal Accident at Work

Daniel had just started his first job with the roofing company and had not received any safety training or instruction on working at heights. His father had even contacted North Eastern Roofing to warn them about his lack of training and experience.

He died after falling through a skylight in the roof of a Matalan store, where he was working from scaffolding without a harness. He was able to walk across part of the roof to access materials and the skylight was not cordoned off.

Inquest Verdict of Unlawful Killing

An inquest was held in March 2005 and the jury returned a verdict of unlawful killing in less than 10 minutes. Despite this however, the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to bring charges of gross negligence manslaughter against Daniel’s employer.

Judicial Review

Acting on behalf of Daniel’s family, our lawyers sought a judicial review of the decision made by the CPS. It is only the second time that the CPS has been brought to court in respect of a fatal accident at work.

The review will be held at the High Court on 30th November.

Daniel’s father, Peter Dennis, commented: “The CPS failed to bring charges which left us flabbergasted. Our son was killed within days of starting work, but there was no accountability for his employer. How is that justice? We want to ensure that other families never go through what we have.”

Accidents at Work

If you or a member of your family has suffered a personal injury as the result of an accident at work, you may be entitled to claim compensation.

Contact The Legal Line for cost free, sympathetic advice from our specialist personal injury lawyers on 0800 0328511, or by completing a claim enquiry form online.

To read our other article on this story, see Call for Stricter laws on Corporate Manslaughter in our news section.