Plant Driver Found Guilty of Skip Death

A heavy plant operator has been found guilty of killing a young bricklayer in a building site accident in Plymouth.

Reece French, 20, from Plymouth, died when a skip weighing 280kg (617lb) fell on his head in Cattedown in 2007.

The skip hire was being lifted using specialist equipment with a telescopic arm operated by Nigel Herring, 35, of Southway Drive, Plymouth.

He was found guilty of manslaughter on the grounds of gross negligence at Plymouth Crown Court.

He had denied the charge.

The court was told Herring, who was working for construction company Kier Western at the East End Community Village Enterprise Centre, had not followed safety procedures and had been grossly negligent when the accident happened on 14 September.

When the jury’s unanimous verdict was read out, Mr French’s mother, Denise, called out “thank God” and burst into tears. Herring remained impassive.

The judge, Mr Justice Tomlinson, released Herring on conditional bail, but warned him he could face a custodial sentence. He will be sentenced within two weeks.

Kier Western declined to comment.