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 Ralph Kennedy pictured four years ago with his newborn young son |
Cop probe into fatal shock
Tributes have been paid to a
much-loved young dad who was electrocuted while working on a council estate
POLICE and safety experts are probing how a scaffolder was electrocuted while working on a council estate.
Father-of-two Ralph Kennedy, 24, – affectionately known by the nickname ‘Barney’ – died after touching a light fitting with a live current running through it on Friday.
He was working on the refurbishment of the Mayford estate in Oakley Square, Somers Town.
Friends and relatives tearfully remembered him this week as a devoted father and family man who could make them smile on any occasion (see page 2).
The New Journal has learned that complaints about the site had been raised – at least on a verbal level – prior to the tragedy and detectives conceded this week that their inquiry was bound to consider whether any manslaughter charges should be brought.
Detective Inspector Carol Andrews said on Tuesday: “I am looking at whether it was done on purpose – was he murdered? I am looking at what maintenance has taken place. I am looking around the light fitting that was clearly live.
“I have to find out what caused it to be faulty. I am investigating who, if anyone, is responsible for his death. If someone’s tampered with it, it’s manslaughter.”
DI Andrews attended the opening of a coroner’s inquest on Tuesday morning. Also there was investigator Kerry Williams from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), a national body which automatically probes all deaths on construction sites.
A touching shrine marks the spot where Mr Kennedy died, including a Manchester United football shirt with signed tributes in marker pen. The site is just minutes from his family home in Royal College Street, Camden Town.
One relative said: “This is something that should never have happened.”
Fellow site worker Clinton Goldsmith, 30, told how he had seen his friend fall headfirst to the floor.
He said: “He didn’t move or scream. At first I thought he was messing around but after a few seconds something didn’t seem right so I pulled him out of the safety netting by his belt and ran to get help. I’m a bit funny about that stuff so I went around the corner. Then someone came over and said ‘your friend’s dead’. I couldn’t stop crying.”
Investigators will be following up suggestions that another worker on the site survived a shock from the same light days before and general concerns that have emerged about site safety. Mr Kennedy’s relatives say they have not been allowed to see the site’s accident log. Contractors Gee Construction failed to respond to several requests to be interviewed.
The Town Hall is keeping tight-lipped over the incident, save for a message of condolences sent to Mr Kennedy’s family by council leader Councillor Keith Moffitt.
Senior staff are insistent that they can’t comment further on the case for legal reasons but even basic details, such as whether the site was visited by council inspectors for safety checks or not, are not being released.
Cllr Moffit said: “A report will be made public once the process is complete.”
Labour ward councillor Roger Robinson said that even he had not been fully updated on what had happened.
He said: “It is hard to get this information out of them but we must find out what happened here.”
Last night (Wednesday), housing chief Councillor Chris Naylor said it was “a fair point” that relatives and neighbours wanted answers but that he under strict orders, partly from the Town Hall’s press office, not to talk about the case.
When reminded that he was the elected councillor in charge of the housing department, he released a statement which said: “I know there are suggestions about the cause of this accident, but I mustn’t comment further while the police and the Health and Safety Executive are investigating. Whatever their findings, we must all do our best to learn from them to help prevent such accidents in future.
Bosses at contractors Gee Construction Limited yesterday (Wednesday) failed to respond to the New Journal despite repeated calls to director chairman John Newby at the company’s head office. He was emailed a series of questions surrounding the incident but none of them were answered. His assistant said: “He is a very busy man. He will reply as and when he can.”
The company has worked on local authority projects across the country and recently worked on building a new sports hall at William Ellis School in Highgate.
It is seven years since the company’s last encounter with the Health and Safety Executive. According to the HSE’s records, the company, then known by its previous name Wiggins Gee Construction, was fined £5,000 in 1999 for safety breaches on a project in Neath in Wales.
Investigators are likely to demand access to the site’s incident log-book, a document relatives say they have not been allowed to see.
Mr Kennedy’s uncle, who did not want to be named, said: “This is something that should never have happened. The accident book should be public. Someone had a shock off it a week ago and it should be in there. They waited and it took someone’s life.”
Mr Goldsmith, who lives in Lady Margaret Road, Kentish Town, said: “He (Mr Kennedy) was such a funny man. You couldn’t help but like him. Even though I’d only known him a week, I felt like I had known him months.”
But he added: “This is the council responsibility. They hired the construction company so it falls to them. You’d think this was something that would be checked regularly. It’s electricity – it’s got to be one of the first things you check on thee health and safety list when you are working on a site like that.”
More concerns have been raised by nearby residents. In the days leading up to the tragedy, electricity supply had been disrupted with lights flickering on the estate and TVs only working haphazardly.
Lord Timothy Thomas, chairman of the Brook House Residents Association, a neighbouring block, said that complaints had been raised but no action was taken.
He said: “The right uniforms weren’t being worn. I saw two workmen in sandals. That’s against the law. I had daily concerns and I rang the site manage and the council. They didn’t seem bothered. There was an accident waiting to happen here.“
Cllr Moffitt said: “We would like to extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Mr Kennedy, who died in a tragic accident while carrying out improvement work for the council on the Mayford estate. It is important to establish what happened.”
The inquest will be resumed in April.
Was political chief silenced by minions?
This is an extract of a conversation between the New Journal’s Richard Osley and the council’s housing chief, Councillor Chris Naylor:
RO: There has been some criticism of the council for not checking the site more often.
CN: I appreciate you phoning me. Can I call you back? I’ve been told I mustn’t say anything.
RO: Who told you, you mustn’t say anything?
CN: Oh you know. Press office.
RO: You are the elected one. It’s your job to instruct civil servants, not for the press office to instruct you. You are in charge of the department. The department is your responsibility.
CN: OK. I will try to get back to you. There are a few tricky legal issues that I am not so clear on myself. I will get back to you. It might be an hour.
A little later he calls back
CN: I’ve been thinking about this and I don’t want to comment further because there is a Health and Safety Executive investigation going on. I have sent you an email. I’ll read you the text: This is an awful event for all involved and I join in offering sincere sympathies to the relatives concerned.
I know there are suggestions about the cause of this accident, but I mustn’t comment further while the police and the Health and Safety Executive are investigating.
Whatever their findings, we must all do our best to learn from them to help prevent such accidents in future.
RO: Who said that you mustn’t comment? The press office?
CN: I couldn’t find anyone in the press office but I don’t want to comment further.
RO: I just really want to know whether you were aware of the complaints about the site before this incident.
CN: I really can’t comment any further. |
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