A 24-year-old dad-to-be died after being electrocuted while working at a property in Chester with his stepfather, a court has heard. Connor Lambert came into contact with electricity when his ladder moved near overhead power lines while he was working at a house in Farndon on July 29, 2024.
Connor was a trainee painter working with Daniel Watton, 50, who traded as Inside Out Painters and Decorators Property Maintenance. Connor and his partner Megan McCann were expecting their first child at the time of his death.
HSE Investigation Findings
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Connor had been moving a fully extended ladder with a colleague at the gable end of the property when the ladder either came into contact with power lines or came close enough for an electrical arc to form. As well as Connor's death, his colleague suffered burns to his hands, feet and stomach.
The investigation found that the work at height had not been properly planned, supervised or carried out safely. The equipment and methods of work were unsuitable for the task, and the risks associated with working near overhead power lines had not been adequately assessed. The HSE also found issues with the training and competence of those carrying out the work.
Sentencing and Tributes
The original plan involved using a scaffold tower and ladders, but this approach was neither suitable nor safe, and in practice ladders were used throughout. This method was approved by Watton and was both unsuitable and unsafe.
Watton, of Bean Bank, Wollerton, Market Drayton, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. He was sentenced to 16 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to pay £10,645 in costs at Warrington Magistrates Court on 6 October 2026.
Connor's partner Megan said: "Connor was amazing. He had the cheekiest grin and would light up any room he was in – he was so funny. He was a caring person who always put everyone else first. He was very ambitious and he was an avid Arsenal fan. He went to loads of matches with my father and brother."
She added: "He was a happy person who loved family life. We had been trying for our own family for three years and he was over the moon when we found out I was pregnant. He never missed a midwife appointment and was elated when we found out we were having a baby girl. We had been on the phone talking the morning he died – I had just taken delivery of a moses basket and I was heavily pregnant at 32 weeks."
"But within minutes I got another phone call to say there had been accident and Connor was dead. I never thought I would have buried the love of my life and then given birth to our daughter 23 days later. She knows daddy is in the sky and at night he shines as a star - I'm making sure she knows who Connor is, but at some point, I will have to explain to her what happened. I will never get over Connor's death - I still feel angry, numb and feel a massive part of my world has gone."
Connor's dad Craig West said the loss of his son had changed him, adding: "This experience has changed me, my emotions, my temperament and my outlook on life. I'm agitated regularly and can become angry easily. I have lost the spring in my step and no longer have the drive I once had and work now has become a chore."
HSE inspector Keeley Eves said: "This tragic incident meant a father never got to meet and hold his baby daughter. The fact it could and should have been prevented with proper planning and control measures, makes it all the more stark."
"Work at height and work near overhead power lines are both high-risk activities. Employers must ensure that suitable equipment is selected, risks are fully assessed, and workers are adequately trained and supervised. The very lives of those workers depend on these decisions. Our thoughts remain with all of Connor's loved ones."
