Deaths in 2001

Deaths in 2002

Deaths in 2003

Deaths in 2004

Deaths in 2005

Deaths in 2006

Deaths in 2007

Deaths in 2008

Deaths in 2000

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Deaths in 2001

Click on the names below for further case details

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Deaths in 2002

Click on the names below for further case details

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Deaths in 2003

Click on the names below for further case details

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Deaths in 2004

Click on the names below for further case details

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Deaths in 2005

Click on the names below for further case details

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Deaths in 2006

Click on the names below for further case details

Deaths in 2007

Click on the names below for further case details

Deaths in 2008

Click on the names below for further case details

FURTHER DETAILS OF DEATHS

Christopher Shute

Christopher, a technical adviser to the Ford Transit Van Co., was killed when he fell into a 30 yard long collector vat full of hot paint. Christopher was trying to stop the vat from overflowing when he slipped and fell in.

In June 2003 at Winchester Crown Court Ford, the two contracted managers responsible and the designers of the tank, Haden Drysys International Limited, pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The more serious charges of manslaughter were thus dropped by the CPS and all parties were fined.

Ford has been fined £50,000 for failing to ensure the safety of its own workers, £250,000 for failing to ensure the safety of others and to pay £46,688 costs.The two managers Peter Preston, 51, and Paul McKenzie,55, were fined £5,000 each for failing to ensure the safety of staff. Haden Drysys International Limited were fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £22,500 costs.

The two men were originally charged with manslaughter following the incident in 2000 but pleaded guilty to the lesser counts and the Crown Prosecution Service dropped the more serious charges.

Speaking outside court, Christopher's sister Anne Grundy said, 'We were very angry that the serious charges were dropped a soon as Ford and the others offered to plead guilty to the lesser charges.'

Christopher's family felt that justice had not been done as the full evidence had not been heard. They called on the government to bring in a new offence of corporate killing and pressed for a full inquest.

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Jack Waterman

Jack, a steel erector, died from a fall from a barn roof in West Petersfield.

The inquest was held at Portsmouth and South East Hampshire Coroner's Court on 4 December 2003 when a verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned.

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Cyril Boyle

Cyril, an inmate at the General Hospital, Southampton, died after possibly ingesting a tablet that caused him to aspirate

The inquest was held at Southampton and New Forest Coroner’s Court on 21/22 February 2002. A verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned.

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Marcus Sizer

Marcus was killed while travelling, possibly delivering take-away food.

The inquest was held at Portsmouth and South East Hampshire Coroner's Court on 7 January 2003 when a verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned.

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Barry Howard

Barry, a self-employed mechanic, was crushed to death under a vehicle he was working on.

The inquest was held at Portsmouth and South East Hampshire Coroner's Court on 11 March 2003 when a verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned.

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Arthur (Archie) Whitear

Archie, a dustman who had worked for Fareham Council for 37 years, died after being crushed to death under the wheels of a lorry driven by a colleague at the Paulsgrove landfill site, owned by waste management firm Onyx.

The inquest was held at Portsmouth and South East Hampshire Coroner's Court on 4 December 2003 when a verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned.

The inquest jury heard from an eyewitness that Archie was attempting to swing up on to the side step of the vehicle by using the wing mirror bracket, when he slipped and was dragged underneath the wheels.

The inquest was told how the practices of riding on the side of the vehicle was deemed to be unsafe by both Fareham council and Onyx. However question marks were raised over the stringent health and safety checks that were carried out to ensure employees were aware of the risks.

Heath and Safety Inspector Roger Upfold told the inquest how an investigation had been launched following the accident and that the inquiries were ongoing.

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David Bail

David, an employee at Change of Style, was caught in a stone-cuting machine and crushed, resulting in massive head injuries from which he later died at Southampton General Hospital.

Michael Shaw and Gavin Shaw, directors and business owners of Change of Style, a stone-cutting company in Totton on the outskirts of Southampton, were charged with David's manslaughter.

The manslaughter trial opened in June 2006 at Winchester Crown Court. The prosecution told the court that the pair were responsible for David's death because they switched off vital safety equipment. The trial heard that a light beam system that would have stopped the machine if anyone got too close had been deactivated. David died from massive head injuries.

Witnesses said Michael Shaw had said the stoppages cost too much time and money.

Mr Shaw denied any responsibility throughout a three-week trial that ended with a hung jury on 2 August but he changed his plea at Winchester Crown Court the next day. He received a two-year suspended prison sentence.

The judge, Mr Justice Owen, said the only reason he had suspended the sentence was because jail would jeopardise the future of the company which employs 25 people. 'Some may feel you have got off lightly. But you will have to live out your days in the knowledge that you are responsible for that terrible tragedy, the needless death of this young man.'

Outside court, David's sister, Georgina Bail, 27, said of the sentence, 'I'm outraged. They have taken away my brother, my soulmate, my best friend. My life has been torn apart. I wouldn't like to put into words what I think of Mr Shaw. We're quite glad he has admitted it but it has taken him three years,' she said.

David's father Chris said, 'At least another tragedy has been prevented because of the safety checks at this and other places. As a family we would not want to bear the loss of 25 people's livelihoods. If he was jailed he would only do 12 months.'

Michael Shaw and the company were fined a total of £70,000 for ten breaches of health and safety regulations. His son, Gavin Shaw, was fined £1,500 for one health and safety breach. He was earlier cleared of a manslaughter charge due to the lack of evidence.

A manslaughter charge against the firm was ordered to lie on file. The court heard that Peter Cowley, production manager at the time of the death, had pleaded guilty to a breach of health and safety regulations. Magistrates fined him £600 and ordered him to pay £100 costs.

In September 2006 an inquest jury at Southampton and New Forest Coroner's Court returned a verdict of unlawful killing.

Detective Sergeant Steve Edbury, of Hampshire Police, who led the investigation, told the jury that the automated machine, which cut stone for fireplaces and kitchen worktops, had light sensors around it that immediately stopped the machine when someone broke the continuous beam.

It also had hinged guards that, if lowered when the machine was working, would break a circuit and stop it. But Mr Edbury said these safety devices had been bypassed to make the machine more efficient because if it was stopped it had to start the programme again costing time and money.

'It was common knowledge that the photo-electric beam had been deliberately defeated,' the coroner Mr Wiseman said. 'It's a case so fundamental, if one wasn't careful, one would be running a factory back to Victorian times.

'Sadly, sometimes because of a wish to retain employment or whatever the combination of factors, that even where there are a significant number of people involved the whistle is not necessarily blown on the process itself.' Mr Wiseman told Mr Edbury, 'You have painted a really quite horrific picture of the way the factory was operating and the risks, indeed, that individuals were taking in relation to their own safety, let alone any question of guiding the company.'

In November 2006 Sir Ivor Judge presiding at the Criminal Appeal Court in London declared the suspended jail sentence 'too lenient' and imposed instead a 15 month jail term on Mr Shaw.

Sentencing Shaw, Sir Judge said, 'This disaster has been with you for three years - serving a sentence will help to expurgate the undoubted sense of guilt you feel. A young man lost his life because of the gross negligence of his employer. We emphasise health and safety in this place of employment was literally a matter of life and death. Here, safety was ignored for business convenience, at the peril of death. The machine and the other two had, in fact, been dangerous and potentially lethal from the day they were first installed some years earlier.'

Sir Ivor Judge said Shaw did not personally disable the safety devices, but through his guilty plea, acknowledged safety procedures in his premises were his responsibility.

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Jason Pepall

Jason, a railworker from Portsmouth, died from electrocution when he fell onto the live rail between Basingstoke and Eastleigh while working as a lookout for a gang replacing insulation pots. He was employed by McGinley's subbing to Balfour Beatty Rail Services.

The inquest was held at North East Hampshire Coroner’s Court on 12 November 2003 when an Open verdict was returned.

In February 2007 Balfour Beatty Rail Infrastructure Services pleaded guilty at Winchester Crown Court to a charge of failing to ensure health and safety at work in relation to Jason's death and was fined almost £200,000.

The court heard that Jason who was working for Balfour Beatty as a contractor from McGinley Recruitment Services, was part of a team working on the line when the incident occurred.

Prosecutor Nicholas Haggan QC told the court that Jason was acting as lookout for a gang of workers repairing conductor rail insulator pots on the tracks, but had also been helping out with some of the physical work. Mr Haggan told the court that Jason was working with Gary Elton and Tendai Ndoro. 'Mr Elton walked up the track to see how much work was required and told Mr Pepall and Mr Ndoro to wait in a place of safety,' he explained. 'While Mr Elton inspected the track, Mr Ndoro said he saw Mr Pepall walk towards the track and kneel down as if to change one of the insulators. The next thing he heard was a scream from Mr Pepall, who had apparently bridged the conductor and running rails and had been electrocuted.'

Mr Haggan said Jason would almost certainly have been killed instantly. He said an investigation into the incident revealed a 'catalogue of errors by the defendant company', which included: the gang working without any direction, supervision or control; the work being carried out on a live railway line without the men using protective gloves; no system of formal training in place; no risk assessment drawn up to show the dangers of this work; no method statement and the only instructions available were hopelessly inadequate.

Mr Haggan said the company had several previous convictions for breaches of health and safety legislation, for which it had received substantial fines. A new standard maintenance procedure was also released weeks after the incident in 2003, prohibiting work to repair or replace conductor rail insulator pots on live lines.

Jonathan Caplan QC, defending, said, 'The company acknowledges and admits that it failed to ensure that, at the relevant time, so far as was reasonable and practical, there was a safe system of work for employees for the maintenance of insulator pots while the rails were live.' He said the company accepted many of the prosecution's claims of breach of duty, but said this work was considered by the industry to be relatively straightforward.

The judge, Mr Justice Royce, ordered Balfour Beatty to pay a fine of £180,000 and court costs of £73,602.41.

Andrew Stretton, from the Office of Rail Regulation, said, 'This was a tragedy that should not have happened, but the positive outcome is that working procedures, not only changing rail pots with a live rail, but other maintenance procedures, have been changed.'

Speaking after the hearing, Jason's father Tony said, 'We may never fully understand the events that led to Jason losing his life. What we do understand is that the Health and Safety Executive and the rail industry have reviewed and amended their policies and procedures to safeguard against this kind of event happening again.'

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Brian Westbrook

Brian who was a self-employed electrician who installed electrical wiring died at work.

The inquest was held at Portsmouth and South East Hampshire Coroner's Court on 23 November 2004 when a verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned.

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Tony Stone

Tony, a HGV driver from Hatch Warren, was reversing at the Sainsbury's distribution depot, Houndsmill Rd, Basingstoke when he was trapped and died at the scene. Basingstoke Environmental Health officers, as the enforcing authority, investigated the case .

The inquest was held at North East Hampshire Coroner’s Court on 7 January 2004 when a jury returned a verdict of 'Accidental Death'.

In his summing up the coroner said that Tony's vehicle had rolled forward and he was crushed between the door and cab of the vehicle.

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David Ashton

David, the employee of an a specialist abseiling company, Total Access, fell 30 ft to his death while inspecting the ventilation shaft of a railway tunnel which runs under Highlands Road and the M27 in north Fareham. He is thought not to have been wearing ropes at the time.

The inquest was held at Portsmouth and South East Hampshire Coroner's Court on 14 September 2005 when a verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned.

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Peter Butler

Peter, an assistant countryside ranger for Hampshire County Council, was killed when his tractor crashed and toppled on to him.

The inquest was held at Portsmouth and South East Hampshire Coroner's Court on 23 March 2006 when a verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned.

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Derek Smith

Derek was a self-employed construction worker who suffered fatal neck wounds in an accident involving a disc saw. He was taken to hospital but died soon after.

The inquest was held at Portsmouth and South East Hampshire Coroner's Court on 13 September 2005 when a verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned.

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Joey Knowles

Joey was crushed to death when a forklift truck he was driving toppled over at his family's builder's yard.

The incident happened as Joey attempted to drive the truck when he was left alone at the yard where he worked. He is believed to have lost control of the vehicle as he took a sharp turn. As the vehicle toppled over Joey is thought to have fallen out of the seat and ended up underneath the vehicle – which weighed about two tonnes.

Joey was training to be a builder, having worked at the firm, which is owned by his uncle, since leaving school the previous year.

The inquest was held at Portsmouth and South East Hampshire Coroner's Court on 14 November 2006 when a verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned.

The jury was told how Joey, who was working as a construction labourer, would drive the forklift truck around the yard, even though he was not old enough or trained to do so. It was during a sharp turn that the truck was seen to topple and a heavy bar from the safety cage – designed to keep the driver safe – crushed Joey.

An investigation found the truck to have several defects, including problems with steering, an unsecured driver's seat and brakes that were '100 per cent ineffective'. Karen Morris, a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector, said, 'The cage is there to protect operators but it relies on the seat being fixed firmly in place and also the operator wearing a seatbelt, there wasn't one to wear.'

The jury was also told that Joey was seen on CCTV spinning the vehicle before it overturned. His older brother, Jay, told the inquest he had been helping Joey in the yard in the morning before going off on a job. Joey had been left behind to tidy the yard – a job he hated and got bored of so would sometimes amuse himself in the truck. His brother said, 'I did tell him not to drive it, especially when he did a spin and jumped out of it while it was still moving. I went back to the yard later that morning and saw him on the forklift and told him it was dangerous, he said "don't worry I'll be all right". I wish I'd tried harder now.'

The HSE was continuing its investigation.

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Krisztian Takacs

Krisztian, a 26-year-old Hungarian, died in an explosion and a fire at a boat yard, which also left the boat owner with severe burns.

Krisztian and Philip Wyman the owner had been carrying out work on the moored vessel's hull in Smith Quay, Woolston, in Southampton when the accident happened on Friday. It was thought a blast, which caused the fire to spread throughout the boat, happened as the men smelted lead. Krisztian suffered smoke inhalation and died in the fire on the 48ft (14.6m) boat.

It was announced in August 2006 that Philip Roger Wyman had been charged with manslaughter. He was also charged with three health and safety offences.

Mr Wyman, the boat owner, was found guilty of Krisztian's manslaughter by a jury at Winchester Crown Court in February 2007. Wyman who denied manslaughter and breaching the Health and Safety Act will be sentenced at a later date.

Both Krisztian and Wyman were on board the partially built yacht melting lead for the keel using propane gas cylinders.

In court it was alleged that Wyman's gross negligence had caused the fire. Expert witnesses said working conditions on the boat constituted 'an immediate and serious risk'.

The jury was not asked for a verdict on alternative charges of breaching Health and Safety legislation.

In March 2007 Mr Wyman was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for Krisztian's manslaughter.

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Lee worked as a carpenter on a Gosport site building social housing (principal contractors G. Osborne). A timber frame he was erecting fell and crushed him. Lee died from a fractured skull injury.

The inquest was held at Portsmouth and South East Hampshire Coroner's Court on 18 April 2007 when a verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned.

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Anthony Sheridan

Anthony died when an industrial oven exploded at the Wallop Defence Systems factory. The firm, near the Army Air Corps training base, makes high technology electronic countermeasures and decoys for aircraft.

Police said four other people suffered minor injuries in the explosion. A spokesman for Hampshire Fire Service said, 'Part of the building has been completely demolished and there's debris spread over the area of a football pitch. Apparently there was a fire ball and a plume of smoke which quickly almost extinguished itself.'

In August 2008 the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decided there was insufficient evidence to bring a prosecution following Anthony's death. A joint inquiry was launched by the Hampshire Constabulary and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)after Mr Anthony Sheridan, aged 37, died in the explosion at the site on 26 June 2006.

The police have now completed their part of the investigation after individuals within the company were investigated over allegations of manslaughter by gross negligence.

In July 2008 a file was passed to the coroner. The HSE's investigation would be concluded following the inquest when it would decide if it was to bring its own proceedings.

The inquest would be held at Central Hampshire Coroner's Court.

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Allan Knight

Allan, a milkman for Dairy Crest on his round, died instantly from multiple injuries when a lorry crashed into his van.

In April 2008 at Winchester Crown Court Gregory Locke, who also worked for Dairy Crest, the driver of the 7.5 tonne lorry was sentenced by Judge Patrick Hooton to three years' imprisonment, banned from driving for five years and ordered to take an extended driving test when he re-applied for his licence.

Locke admitted causing death by careless driving while under the influence of drugs. The Crown Prosecution Service accepted a not guilty plea by Locke to a second charge of causing death by dangerous driving.

After the case, Sgt Wayne Voller, of Hampshire police, said, 'This is a tragic case that demonstrates the dangers of driving while under the effects, or after effects, of drugs - in this case amphetamine and cocaine. Locke was so impaired he didn't even see the milk float or Mr Knight at the side of the road and drove a 7.5 tonne lorry into them both. I strongly urge anyone who takes illegal or certain prescription drugs not to drive while under the influence.'

Any inquest would have been held at Central Hampshire Coroner's Court.

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Barry Collins

Barry, a banger racing driver, was crushed to death by a crane at a Hampshire scrap metal dealer's yard. Barry was visiting the yard with his brother Joey to buy a van for parts. The brothers were inside a van when a crane used to move vehicles started up.

The inquest was held at Southampton and New Forest Coroner's Court from 2 to 4 April 2008 when a verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned.

Joey said he shouted to the crane driver but the driver mistakenly thought he wanted the vehicle moved and the claw grabbed the cab, crushing his brother.

Crane driver Colin Anteney, who had worked at the James Huntley and Sons scrapyard in Sholing for eight years, told the inquest he had not seen Barry in the van.

Pathologist Dr Adrian Bateman told the inquest Mr Collins died instantaneously of severe neck and shoulder injuries as a result of the crane grabbing the van's cab, where he was sitting.

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Gary Lutley

Gary, an electrician died after an incident on board the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal in Portsmouth naval base.

Gary was working with a colleague and a member of the Royal Navy when the alarm was raised. The three had been carrying out routine maintenance in the galley area of the Royal Navy's flagship.

A medic on board the ship was first to the scene and gave Gary oxygen until an ambulance arrived alongside at South Railway Jetty. He died later in Queen Alexandra Hospital.

The inquest was to be held at Portsmouth and South East Hampshire Coroner's Court.

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Mark Walters

Mark, a tyre fitter, died after becoming trapped between his lorry and its hydraulic arm. Mark was found at the Chatsworth Blue Haze site.

Firefighters and ambulance crews attended the site between Ringwood and Verwood, but Mark died on the scene.

Mark was a contractor who had arrived at the site with the vehicle with a hydraulic arm, according to Veolia Environmental Services, the company that operates the landfill site. He was preparing the vehicle to be used to change tyres on a tipper truck.

The inquest was to be held at Southampton and New Forest Coroner's Court.

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Joselito Zordila

Joselito, a crewman from the Philippines, died after running out of oxygen in the ballast tank of the Saga Rose, a Saga-owned cruise ship, in Southampton.

Joselito did not have the usual breathing gear when he went inside the ballast tank. Joselito was unconscious when rescuers arrived. He was later pronounced dead at the scene and his family have been informed. A post-mortem examination showed he died from oxygen starvation. A second man was rescued.

Hampshire police and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) were carrying out a joint investigation and the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) was informed.

Firefighters rescued Joselito's colleague, also from the Philippines and he was taken to Southampton General Hospital but later discharged.

Police were investigating the suspicion of gross negligence. Detectives were examining whether the men were told to enter the ballast tanks or told to inspect them from a safe distance above.

Saga confirmed that various guidelines should be followed during the procedure. These included ventilating the tanks well in advance and that anyone wanting to go inside must have written permission and be accompanied by a safety officer, as it is an out-of-bounds area.

The inquest was to be held at Southampton and New Forest Coroner's Court.

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Terry Booth

Terry, a vehicle recovery lorry driver, died in a fatal collision at Poulner Hill on the A31

Terry was in the process of recovering a broken down Peugeot 306 shortly before midnight, when it was in collision with a Chrysler Voyager. The Peugeot was shunted into the verge, bringing the Chrysler into contact with the Renault recovery vehicle and Terry.

The Chrysler driver was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and was bailed, pending further inquiries, until August 13 2008.

The Peugeot driver was released from Southampton General Hospital after treatment for shock and a minor injury.

The inquest was to be held at Southampton and New Forest Coroner's Court.

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