A gardener who was left paralysed after falling from a ladder at a multimillionaire couple's mansion has lost his High Court bid for over £1 million in compensation. Barry Relph, 59, suffered a catastrophic spinal injury in January 2021 when he toppled from a step ladder while clearing branches at the £2.3m Surrey home of John and Joanna Meager.
Mr Relph, now a wheelchair user, sued the couple, arguing that a trained tree surgeon should have been hired for the hazardous work. His barrister, Stephen Killalea KC, told the court that spending a few hundred pounds on a specialist would have prevented the accident. However, Judge Andrew Kinnier KC ruled that Mr Relph was not an employee but a freelance contractor, and that both he and his colleague were experienced gardeners who devised their own work plan.
The court heard that Mr Relph has no memory of the accident, but his colleague said a branch struck the ladder, causing a wobble that unbalanced him. The judge found that the two men provided their own equipment and were free to work for others, concluding that they were independent contractors. He dismissed the claim, noting that while the decision would be a bitter disappointment, the evidence did not support Mr Relph's case.
