A workman was buried alive when a trench collapsed on him at a construction site in Banstead, Surrey, in 2020. Gheorghita Arsene, 33, known as Geo, was clearing soil when one of the walls of the 10ft-deep ditch caved in, covering him with earth.
His mother, Ienuta, said Geo had phoned her earlier that day, telling her he was afraid the trench would collapse. A colleague ran for help while others attempted to dig him out.
Emergency response and investigation
Fire and ambulance crews were called to the scene, but efforts to revive Geo were hindered by the weight of the soil and the difficulty of digging him out. Inspectors later found that the trench had no supports and that excavated soil had been deposited unsafely close to it.
Following a three-month trial, two companies were found guilty under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The now-defunct Appledorn Developments was fined £500,000, and T Vaughan Limited (TVL) was fined £650,000 plus £40,000 in costs.
Sentencing and family reaction
Contracts manager Anthony O'Connor admitted failing to discharge his duties and was sentenced to 10 months in custody, suspended for 18 months, along with 150 hours of unpaid work. Jurors failed to reach a verdict on manslaughter. Site manager Peter Wraith was found not guilty of manslaughter, and assistant site manager Gregory Peake was acquitted of failing to discharge his health and safety duty.
A Health and Safety Executive spokesperson said: "Gheorghita Arsene's death was as horrifying as it was preventable. Basic precautions were not in place to protect workers from the well-known risks that come with excavation work." The spokesperson added: "This case is a stark reminder that when basic safety standards are ignored, the consequences can be fatal. Companies and individuals alike have legal duties to protect workers."
Geo's mother described him as a "good man" trying to support his family, adding: "Nothing is the same anymore. I have a depression that is eating me away and a constant feeling of loneliness. Everyone in the family was devastated by Gheorghita's death."
