A teenage apprentice carpenter was fatally crushed while carrying out work on a property renovation, a court has heard. Chloe Bidwell, 18, from Trearddur Bay, Anglesey, was labouring alone in a residential property when a pile of loose wooden boards collapsed on top of her. Each plank weighed as much as 30kg. Her body was found at the premises when she failed to come home that evening and hadn't responded to text messages.
Company and Director Sentenced
The property management company the teenager was employed by has now been handed a £50,000 fine and its director has received a suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty to health and safety breaches, reports WalesOnline, via North Wales Live. Following the sentencing hearing, Miss Bidwell's mother said the reality that her daughter had perished alone was something that brings her family "unbearable pain."
She called on all employers to "truly consider the responsibility they hold" for the lives of those they employ.
Details of the Incident
Llandudno Magistrates Court heard that Miss Bidwell had been working alone on a refurbishment project at a house on Deiniol Road in Bangor on 20 December 2023, when the tragedy occurred. The court was informed that a combination of board materials had been stacked upright and had been left unfastened against a wall in the property.
It is thought Miss Bidwell may have been attempting to pull a plywood board from the pile when some of the boards toppled onto her, crushing her neck and causing fatal injuries. The court heard there were 28 boards altogether, each one substantial in size and potentially weighing as much as 30kg. No efforts had been made to fasten the boards in an upright stance, and the danger of them toppling over had gone unrecognised.
HSE Investigation Findings
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) discovered that Varcity Living Limited had failed to establish safe working systems and neglected to provide sufficient information, instruction, training and supervision as far as was reasonably practicable. The inquiry also revealed that these shortcomings were down to the negligence of director David Horrocks. The court heard that investigators uncovered insufficient site oversight, no appropriate lone working policy or procedure, no suitable policy or procedure for storing board materials, and inadequate risk assessment before the incident.
Court Outcome
Varcity Living Limited, of High Street, Bangor, pleaded guilty to breaching sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The firm was fined £50,000 and ordered to pay £10,080 in prosecution costs. David Horrocks, of Felinheli, pleaded guilty to breaching section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. He was sentenced to 26 weeks in prison suspended for two years and ordered to pay £7,886 in costs.
Family's Grief and Appeal
Following the sentencing, Chloe's mother, Clare Stephenson-Brown, said: "Chloe was only 18, full of life, energy, and determination. She had so many talents and dreams: a skilled joiner, a rugby player, a surfer, a skydiver, and a young woman who was about to travel the world and begin her journey towards becoming a firefighter. She was wise beyond her years, brave, and incredibly grounded."
"Chloe died instantly and alone. The fact that she was by herself in those final moments is something that causes us unbearable pain and something we will carry forever. Knowing how full of life she was and how much she had yet to experience makes her loss impossible to accept."
Ms Stephenson-Brown expressed that they feel Chloe was let down at work, leading to their irreplaceable loss. She stated: "We just hope that those responsible truly understand the enormity of what has happened, not only the loss of Chloe's life but the devastation caused to her family, her friends, and her community. As a family, we hope this case is not viewed simply in terms of the outcome in court but as a stark reminder of the real human cost behind it. The impact of losing Chloe reaches far beyond any sentence and will stay with us forever."
"We urge employers to look beyond compliance and truly consider the responsibility they hold for the lives in their care. Safety must be meaningful in practice, ensuring risks are properly managed, lone working is safe, and that everyone who goes to work returns home."
HSE Inspector's Statement
HSE inspector Rachael Newman stated that Miss Bidwell, a young apprentice joiner at the start of her career, had every right to expect that her employer would take the necessary steps to ensure her safety at work. She added that Chloe's family had every right to expect that when she went to work that day, she would return home to them again.
She said: "The tragedy of Chloe's death is made all the more jarring because it was so wholly avoidable. Apprentices should not be working alone on a construction site, and Chloe died in circumstances which should never have been able to happen. Chloe's employer, Varcity Living Limited, had no safe storage system in place for the dangerously heavy boards which were stacked upright and completely unsecured. Furthermore, they had failed to provide the necessary information, instruction, training, and supervision for their young apprentice."
"Today's result cannot bring Chloe back, but we hope the sentence handed down brings some solace to her family, whose lives carry on without her. They remain in our thoughts and we offer them our deepest condolences."
