Guernsey building contractor fined after shopfitter crushed to death by fridge

One of Guernsey's largest building contractors has been fined £75,000, five years after a shop-fitter was crushed to death by a fridge.

A commercial refrigeration unit fell on Barry Challen, from Lowestoft, while he was working to fit out a Co-op store in St Sampson on 20 May 2018.

The 50-year-old suffered fatal head injuries when moving equipment got caught on the uneven floor and the fridge fell forward.

Hurel Limited - previously known as RG Falla - was the main contractor on the site when the incident happened.

It has been found guilty of Health and Safety breaches, providing risk assessments that were described as "generic, lacking detail and being totally inadequate".

Mr Challen's wife, Adele, said he was a dedicated family man and they still miss him very much - but she added his family can finally move on now justice has been served.

Hurel Limited wasn't present or represented in court during the trial as the company went into liquidation in 2022.

The court heard the company had previously sold all its assets and had no funds available to it to pay the fine.

Judge Catherine Fooks said: "There is no evidence the voluntary liquidation is linked to these proceedings.

"It must not be seen as a method of avoiding Health and Safety prosecutions."

The court was told the fine would act as "a deterrent" so those in the industry "do not take shortcuts".

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