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Builder gets three years after labourer killed by falling wall
Ben Bailey20 Jul 2009
A builder was today jailed for three years for the manslaughter of a teenage labourer who was the youngest person on record killed on a construction site
Adam Gosling, 15, was crushed to death by a collapsing wall in April 2007 when left to work unsupervised by boss Colin Holtom.
He died instantly from massive head injuries when the wall fell on him as he worked as a £25-a-day labourer in the grounds of a north London mansion.
Holtom had left Adam and his brother Dean, 18, to knock down the unstable seven-metre long structure by an outdoor swimming pool at a property in Hadley Wood.
The 64-year-old, of Meadow Way, Latchingdon, Essex, was said to have had a "laissez faire" attitude to safety.
He pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey last week to a charge of manslaughter by gross negligence.
Judge Christopher Moss today told him: "You adopted a cavalier and thoroughly irresponsible attitude to the brothers' safety."
Martyn Bowyer, prosecuting, said that as a 15-year-old Adam should never have been allowed to carry out such work, while Holtom had failed to provide safety equipment such as hard hats or steel-capped boots.
He told the court: "He is the youngest person to be killed on a construction site that the Health and Safety Executive are aware of and he simply should not have been employed to do what he did at that age."
Darren Fowler, 47, a contractor of Parkland Avenue, Essex, was jailed for 12 months after he admitted breaching health and safety law and running a company while disqualified from being a director.
Reader views (3)
not only was he my son he was a great friend a son to be proud off adam was always there for his family and friends he loved life and motorbikes i miss him so much and always think about him your always in my heart my prince love you always dad x x x r i p my son
- Mark Gosling, maldon essex, 04/01/2010 01:59
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he was the most amazing boy you will ever meeet helpfull always smiling and joking he loved his motabikes and tractors i remember when he was little and he made a farm or he was on his bike making ramps soo many good memorys of him they will be traped in are hearts foreva and never released . he wasnt only my brother but a best freind who will be missed dearley rip adam love you lots babe xx
- Chloe, latchingdon essex, 12/11/2009 12:57
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he was such a great brother to me he always cared for me he wasnt only a brother but a best freind and i am always finking bout his smile and laugh we all miss him very much love you adam rip babe
- Chloe, latchingdon essex, 12/11/2009 12:53
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