The company Stuart Clague Services Limited has been committed to the Court of General Gaol Delivery facing charges of health and safety breaches.

It is charged with failing to ensure a system of work was adopted which was safe and failing to make a suitable risk assessment.

The offences are alleged to have been committed on August 4 at King William’s College when air conditioning engineer Gary Skelding, aged 56, died on a building site.

On Tuesday, Stuart Clague Services, which is based at Ballanette Park, Baldrine, was represented in court by advocate Jim Travers, who said that a company director was present in the public gallery.

Prosecuting advocate Hazel Carroon submitted the offences should be committed to the higher court, as the incident involved a death and was linked to another defendant who had already been committed to the Court of General Gaol Delivery.

pleas

The company is yet to enter pleas but Mr Travers said that it was likely that a guilty plea to the first offence would be satisfactory to the Crown and if entered would be with no direct correlation to the incident that occurred.

The advocate said that the company breach was documentary based in failing to produce a risk assessment and failing to chase up the scaffolding company with regard to intended inspections.

Mr Travers said that the company was keen to acknowledge the offence and move to sentencing, and that it had operated for more than 50 years with an exemplary record.

We previously reported that Stephen Ian Phillips, aged 36, of Kitterland Lane, Port Erin, entered a not guilty plea to a charge of failing to discharge health and safety duties as an employer.

He is yet to enter a plea to a charge of manslaughter.

Bail continues for Mr Phillips in the sum of £500 with conditions to live at his home address and not leave the island without court permission.

Both parties will appear at the higher court on a date to be set.