Man killed by 'dangerously insecure' William Hill shop sign
- Published
Jacob Marx suffered a broken neck and fractured skull when a sign fell on him in 2013
A young lawyer died when a 200kg sign that had been "dangerously insecure for a long period of time" fell on his head, a court has heard.
Jacob Marx, 27, had been working in London for four months when he was crushed by the sign outside a William Hill bookmakers in north London on 28 January 2013.
His neck was broken and his skull fractured. He died about an hour later.
William Hill Organisation Ltd denies breaching health and safety.
Mr Marx, from New Zealand, was "spectacularly unlucky" to be underneath the sign outside the shop on Camden Road when it fell two metres at about 17:00 GMT, Blackfriars Crown Court heard.
Mr Marx was "spectacularly unlucky", the court heard
Opening for the prosecution, James Ageros QC said: "The sign was insecurely fixed on to a wooden sub-frame and parts of the sub-frame were insecurely fixed to each other."
"The sign had been dangerously insecure for a long period of time and could equally have fallen on any other passerby, customer or indeed employee," he added.
"Mr Marx was spectacularly unlucky to be in just the wrong place at just the wrong time."
The bookmaker had enlisted various subcontractors to carry out the fittings, with work starting on the sign in 2006, jurors were told.
Mr Ageros added: "William Hill had the overriding and overall duty that what was done on its behalf was safe and did not present a risk to the public."
William Hill Organisation Ltd denies one count of failing to ensure the safety of non-employees and one count of failing to ensure the safety of employees.