A dad-to-be was fatally electrocuted while decorating a home in Cheshire just weeks before his daughter was born. Connor Lambert, 24, was “elated” to start a family when he came into contact with electricity after a ladder was moved near overhead power lines on July 29, 2024.
The trainee painter was about to welcome a daughter with his partner Megan McCann, who gave birth just 23 days after the tragedy. At the time, Connor was working for his step-dad, Daniel Watton, 50, who was trading as Inside Out Painters and Decorators Property Maintenance. Watton has now been handed a suspended prison sentence over the death.
Ladder moved near overhead power lines
Connor had been moving a fully extended ladder with a colleague at the gable end of the property in Farndon when it either came into contact with an overhead power line or came close enough for an electrical arc to form, a probe by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found. The 24-year-old, described as an “avid Arsenal fan” who “loved family life,” was tragically killed, while his colleague suffered burns to his hands, feet, and stomach.
The investigation also found the work at height had not been properly planned, supervised, or carried out safely, reports Manchester Evening News. The equipment and methods used were unsuitable for the task, and the risks associated with working near overhead power lines had not been adequately assessed or controlled. There were also issues in relation to the training and competence of those carrying out the work. Ladders were used throughout the project – which involved painting the exterior of the property – a method approved by Watton but deemed unsafe.
Family's tribute
Ms McCann said she and Connor had been trying for their own family for three years, and that he was over the moon when he found out she was pregnant. She added that she will “never get over” the death of Connor, who she described as an “amazing” person who “always put everyone else first.”
“He had the cheekiest grin and would light up any room he was in – he was so funny,” Ms McCann said. “He was very ambitious and he was an avid Arsenal fan. He went to loads of matches with my father and brother. 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,” she added. “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 father, Craig West, said: “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. After the findings of the inquest I find Connor's accident even more tragic as it should have so easily been avoided. I do hold people responsible for this situation.”
Sentence and HSE response
Watton, of Bean Bank, Wollerton, Market Drayton, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and was sentenced to 16 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 12 months and ordered to pay £10,645 in costs at Warrington Magistrates Court.
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.”
