Builder guilty of manslaughter after Chilworth crush death

The defendant was using a digger to remove a garage wall

A contractor has been convicted of manslaughter by gross negligence after one of his employees was crushed to death by falling masonry.

Paramjit Singh, 48, was using a digger to remove a garage wall at a house in Chilworth, Hampshire, moments before Kulwant Singh Athwal, 64, was killed.

During a trial at Winchester Crown Court, the jury heard how his "exceptionally bad" failure to protect workers led to Mr Athwal's death.

Singh will be sentenced on 3 December.

Kulwant Singh Athwal was killed by falling masonry

Kulwant Singh Athwal was fatally injured by falling masonry at the site in Chilworth on 15 July 2019.

The court heard earlier that he had been hired to clear rubble and demolish the garage from the property in Ling Dale.

Shauna Ritchie, prosecuting, said Singh, from Southampton, had been using a mini-excavator on the last remaining wall of the garage moments before it collapsed on to Mr Singh Athwal.

The barrister said it "caused him the catastrophic crush injuries that caused his death."

Police were called to the site

The section of the wall that had fallen weighed 167kg (307lbs), the jury heard.

The defendant had not fenced off the dangerous area, put up warning signs or carried out a survey of the building prior to the demolition.

"Paramjit Singh appreciated the dangers of the work he was undertaking and he took none of these steps," said Ms Ritchie.

"It's the prosecution case he was grossly negligent, his negligence was truly exceptionally bad, that it was criminal and he was therefore guilty of the manslaughter of Kulwant Singh Athwal."

Singh previously pleaded guilty to two offences under the Health and Safety at Work Act.

He has been released on conditional bail ahead of sentencing.