Prosecutions over teen’s death at work

Two companies and two of their employees have appeared in court charged with health and safety breaches following the death of an 18-year-old from Holbeach.

Josh Disdel died following injuries sustained while working at the Whitebridges site, off St Thomas Drive in Boston, on July 13, 2018.

At the time Lincolnshire Police said the Serious Collisions Investigations Unit and Health and Safety Executive were investigating the incident which involved a white Citroen Nemo van.

P and R Plant Hire (Lincolnshire) and D Brown (Building Contractors Ltd) alongside the construction manager and site manager at the time of the incident appeared at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court on charges of breaches of the Health and Safety Act on November 27, 2019.

P and R Plant Hire, whose headquarters are based in Peterborough, pleaded guilty to the charge of failing to ensure the health, safety and welfare of its employees.

Not guilty pleas were entered for the other three charges.

D Brown Building Contractors of Browns Yard, Seas End Road, Moulton, is listed as the principal contractor for the site and is charged with failing to ensure the safety of a person not in their employment who may therefore have been exposed to a risk to their health and safety.

Brent Woods, of North Parade, Holbeach, the construction manager of P and R Plant Hire, pleaded not guilty to a charge of not taking reasonable care for the health and safety of himself and of other persons who may have been affected by his acts and omissions at work.

Also pleading not guilty to the same charge was Darrell Tripp, of Broadgate Lane, Deeping St James.

A three-week trial is due to commence at Lincoln Crown Court on October 12.

A spokesman for the Health and Safety Executive said: “The first court hearing was at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, November 27, 2019 where P & R Plant Hire (Lincolnshire) Ltd pleaded guilty and the other three defendants all pleaded not guilty.

“The case was then sent up to Lincoln Crown Court.

“A hearing was held on Thursday, January 2, 2020 at Lincoln Crown Court to prepare for trial and a date was set for a three-week trial for all three defendants commencing on October 12, 2020.”