Two Men Guilty Over Roofer’s Fatal Fall in Hove
Steven Wenham, 48, from Brighton, and John Nicholas Spiller, 52, of Portslade, have been found guilty of safety failings following the tragic death of roofer Graham Tester in 2018. The verdict came at Lewes Crown Court after a lengthy investigation by Sussex Police and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Fatal Fall from a Ladder
On July 27, 2018, Graham Tester, aged 60, fell two storeys at a building site on Brunswick Street West, Hove. He was using a ladder that was dangerously secured by just two nails hammered into timber frames — with no scaffolding or protective barriers in place.
Manslaughter and Corporate Negligence
Wenham was convicted of manslaughter by gross negligence. He and his company, Total Contractor’s Ltd, were also found guilty of breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act by failing to protect workers from serious injury or death at height.
Spiller, meanwhile, was cleared of manslaughter but guilty of health and safety offences. His company, Southern Asphalt Ltd, has already pleaded guilty to the same breaches.
Justice for Victim’s Family
Both men have been released on bail with sentencing set for June 7.
“Employers owe a duty of care to their employees,” said Detective Inspector James Meanwell. “Steven Wenham and John Spiller failed in that duty – the consequences of which were Graham’s tragic death and an irreparable loss to his children and grandchildren. It is my hope that Sussex Police’s investigation and the subsequent trial were able to answer his family’s questions and offer them some measure of comfort that justice has been done.”
