Latest news with #Bennion
Wales Online
30-04-2025
- Wales Online
Man died after falling through 'fragile' roof in 'wholly avoidable' tragedy
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A man died after falling through an Anglesey building's fragile roof in a "wholly avoidable" tragedy. Leslie Bennion, who was 61, died after falling through a roof at the former Welsh Country Foods site in Gaerwen in 2018. A court today heard that the company boss responsible for the work had shown 'remarkable' health and safety failings in the lead up to the tragedy. Dominic Lakeman-Pettit, 34, had chosen a 45ft cherry picker for Mr Bennion and another worker to use to replace panels on the roof and walls of the building and annex, rather than wait for a 60ft cherry picker which hadn't been available until later that week. But Mold Crown Court heard the 45ft cherry picker - or Mobile Elevating Work Platform (MEWP) - wasn't long enough. Mr Bennion and his colleague completed some work but when they reached one area Mr Bennion and his colleague climbed out of the "safe confines" of its basket onto the roof to finish the job. Mr Bennion fell 20ft to his death. You can sign up for all the latest court stories here Both the company Camclad Contractors Ltd and director Lakeman-Pettit admitted breaching a health and safety regulation. Today the judge His Honour Timothy Petts said the tragedy had been "wholly avoidable". At a sentencing hearing today, he fined Camclad, of Wyboston in Bedfordshire, £225,000 and gave Lakeman-Pettit a four-month jail term suspended for 12 months. He must do 200 hours of unpaid work. The judge said the sentences are based on guidelines and do not reflect the value of Mr Bennion's life. Prosecutor Craig Morris said the fall happened at the former Welsh Country Foods plant site in Gaerwen on January 24, 2018. A risk assessment method statement (RAMS) which referred to nets under the roof was prepared but there was "never any intention to install nets", said Mr Morris. The RAMS was "little more than a meaningless piece of paper", said Mr Morris. The defendant found out that there was a 45ft "Genie" cherry picker and asked about a bigger one but it wasn't available until the Thursday of that week. So he took what the judge called the "fateful" decision to have the two men use the 45ft platform. Mr Bennion and a Mr Harris replaced broken panels at a loading bay and cooling system but when they reached a final structure their cherry picker was "15ft short", said Mr Morris. Both men stepped out of the basket to complete the job on the roof. But Mr Harris, who has a false leg, "did not feel able to give himself a secure position to fit the last panel" so the men swapped positions. In a statement Mr Harris said Mr Bennion thought he was standing on a steel joist. He moved and slipped, falling more than 20ft to the floor. Mr Morris said no-one in the company had used a tape measure, a handheld laser device or even drawings to measure the building's dimensions to help select a suitable cherry picker so fell "far below" industry standards in this case. Cameron Crowe KC, defending Camclad and Lakeman-Pettit, said the director "genuinely believed it would reach". He added that Lakeman-Pettit had joined his father's firm Camclad Building Services in 2006 and been "supervised and mentored" by self-employed Mr Bennion. Mr Crowe said Lakeman-Pettit, who was 24 at the time of the accident, mourns the loss of his mentor Mr Bennion. "His remorse is tangible and sincere accompanied by grief he is yet to properly deal with." The court heard the defendant was relying on the two men to ring him if they thought the range of the machine was insufficient but the judge called that approach "inadequate". It was "entirely foreseeable" that they would want to get on with the job rather than delay the work waiting for a larger platform. The company has a turnover of about £6.5 million and employs eleven people although it only employed five staff in 2018. There were glowing references for Lakeman-Pettit and Camclad from customers, including Cambridge Utd Football Club, praising its safety record and professionalism. Find crime figures for your area
North Wales Live
30-04-2025
- North Wales Live
Man died after falling through 'fragile' roof in 'wholly avoidable' tragedy
A man died after falling through an Anglesey building's fragile roof in a "wholly avoidable" tragedy. Leslie Bennion, who was 61, died after falling through a roof at the former Welsh Country Foods site in Gaerwen in 2018. A court today heard that the company boss responsible for the work had shown 'remarkable' health and safety failings in the lead up to the tragedy. Dominic Lakeman-Pettit, 34, had chosen a 45ft cherry picker for Mr Bennion and another worker to use to replace panels on the roof and walls of the building and annex, rather than wait for a 60ft cherry picker which hadn't been available until later that week. But Mold Crown Court heard the 45ft cherry picker - or Mobile Elevating Work Platform (MEWP) - wasn't long enough. Mr Bennion and his colleague completed some work but when they reached one area Mr Bennion and his colleague climbed out of the "safe confines" of its basket onto the roof to finish the job. Mr Bennion fell 20ft to his death. You can sign up for all the latest court stories here Both the company Camclad Contractors Ltd and director Lakeman-Pettit admitted breaching a health and safety regulation. Today the judge His Honour Timothy Petts said the tragedy had been "wholly avoidable". At a sentencing hearing today, he fined Camclad, of Wyboston in Bedfordshire, £225,000 and gave Lakeman-Pettit a four-month jail term suspended for 12 months. He must do 200 hours of unpaid work. The judge said the sentences are based on guidelines and do not reflect the value of Mr Bennion's life. Prosecutor Craig Morris said the fall happened at the former Welsh Country Foods plant site in Gaerwen on January 24, 2018. A risk assessment method statement (RAMS) which referred to nets under the roof was prepared but there was "never any intention to install nets", said Mr Morris. The RAMS was "little more than a meaningless piece of paper", said Mr Morris. The defendant found out that there was a 45ft "Genie" cherry picker and asked about a bigger one but it wasn't available until the Thursday of that week. So he took what the judge called the "fateful" decision to have the two men use the 45ft platform. Mr Bennion and a Mr Harris replaced broken panels at a loading bay and cooling system but when they reached a final structure their cherry picker was "15ft short", said Mr Morris. Both men stepped out of the basket to complete the job on the roof. But Mr Harris, who has a false leg, "did not feel able to give himself a secure position to fit the last panel" so the men swapped positions. In a statement Mr Harris said Mr Bennion thought he was standing on a steel joist. He moved and slipped, falling more than 20ft to the floor. Mr Morris said no-one in the company had used a tape measure, a handheld laser device or even drawings to measure the building's dimensions to help select a suitable cherry picker so fell "far below" industry standards in this case. Cameron Crowe KC, defending Camclad and Lakeman-Pettit, said the director "genuinely believed it would reach". He added that Lakeman-Pettit had joined his father's firm Camclad Building Services in 2006 and been "supervised and mentored" by self-employed Mr Bennion. Mr Crowe said Lakeman-Pettit, who was 24 at the time of the accident, mourns the loss of his mentor Mr Bennion. "His remorse is tangible and sincere accompanied by grief he is yet to properly deal with." The court heard the defendant was relying on the two men to ring him if they thought the range of the machine was insufficient but the judge called that approach "inadequate". It was "entirely foreseeable" that they would want to get on with the job rather than delay the work waiting for a larger platform. The company has a turnover of about £6.5 million and employs eleven people although it only employed five staff in 2018. There were glowing references for Lakeman-Pettit and Camclad from customers, including Cambridge Utd Football Club, praising its safety record and professionalism.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Utah honors its soldiers who received the National Medal of Honor
The national anthem filled the rotunda at the Utah State Capitol on Tuesday as the Utah Military Academy choir ushered in Utah's first-ever Medal of Honor Day ceremony. The Medal of Honor is the United States armed forces' highest military decoration and is awarded by the president of the United States. Only 3,536 people have so far been awarded, for distinguishing themself 'conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of ... life above and beyond the call of duty' while in combat with an enemy of the United States. This year, Utah's Department of Veterans of Foreign Wars honored Utah's five Medal of Honor holders: Mervyn Bennion (World War II), William Hall (World War II), Jose Valdez (World War II), George Wahlen (World War II) and Brian Thacker (Vietnam). Family and friends of the five servicemen, including fellow veterans contributed to a small but lively crowd in the rotunda. 'One of the common things they would say is they never went forth wanting to receive the Medal of Honor ... but when it was their time, they had to make a choice of what they were doing, they completely protected those they were serving and gave of themselves,' said Gary Harter, who heads Utah's Department of Veterans & Military Affairs. Representatives from Utah's Heritage Arts Foundation also attended the event and set forth plans to create statues of each of the five Medal of Honor Holders, to be placed in the communities of the recipients over the next decade. 'My friends, we stand on the shoulders of giants,' said Bob Hanson, who attended on behalf of the foundation. Giant American flags stood at the sides of the podium while he spoke. Navy Capt. Mervyn Bennion was born in Vernon, Utah Territory, in 1887. He served in World War I and commanded the battleship USS West Virginia when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in 1941. 'After being mortally wounded, Capt. Bennion evidenced apparent concern only in fighting and saving ship, and strongly protested being carried from the bridge,' read Bennion's great-grandson from his Medal of Honor citation. Bennion was mortally wounded by a shrapnel shard from a ship neighboring his. Though sailors tried to take him to a first-aid station, he refused to leave his post and instead commanded his men while holding his wounds closed with one arm. He eventually perished from blood loss. Bennion was posthumously awarded his medal and buried in Salt Lake City Cemetery. William Hall was a lieutenant and navy pilot awarded for his actions during the Battle of the Coral Sea in 1942. Kraig Thorne, an officer in the Veteran of Foreign Wars Department, read off a citation for 'extreme courage and conspicuous heroism' for Hall's efforts in diving his ship at a Japanese aircraft carrier and 'contributing materially to the destruction of that vessel.' Hall also destroyed three Japanese planes in combat, and though he himself was severely injured during his flight, safely landed his own plane. 'He displayed extraordinary skill as an airman and the aggressive spirit of a fighter,' said Thorne. Hall was awarded a Medal of Honor by military Vice Adm. Ephraim Holmes in 1942. Jose Valdez, Utah Valley's only Medal of Honor recipient and Utah's only Hispanic Medal of Honor recipient, grew up in Pleasant Grove, before going on to serve in World War II in France. Valdez served as part of company B, 7th Infantry Division, fighting with other soldiers 'out front of friendly lines... when they were assaulted by a superior force,' reported Harter. '(He) fiercely fought the enemy, killing several, and as the engagement continued, the leader ... ordered everyone to withdraw, but Jose stayed behind, risking death to provide cover for others.' Though Valdez was wounded several times, he stayed to fight, refusing to leave until his fellow Americans had made it back to cover. He called in artillery fire close to his position to secure their safety and managed to drag himself back to base after the skirmish concluded. He perished from his injuries three weeks later. His Medal of Honor was presented posthumously to his mother in 1946. George Wahlen, 'who did more for the veterans of Utah than anyone else,' per Kraig Thorne, was awarded a Medal of Honor. Born in 1924 in Ogden, Wahlen served in the Asiatic theater of World War II as a Marine and fought with Fox Company when it assaulted Iwo Jima, Japan. As a medical corpsman, Wahlen retrieved and evacuated many wounded Marines throughout the battle, even after suffering three injuries himself, including a broken leg. Wahlen went on to spend 10 months in recovery, after which President Harry Truman awarded him the Medal of Honor. Personal friends and fellow veterans spoke in Wahlen's honor, detailing his 'subsequent years of dedicated service' to raising awareness for veterans' needs, including his efforts working as a veterans benefits counselor and lobbying for the Veterans Cemetery at Camp Williams in Bluffdale. A VFW spokesman called Thacker 'one of Vietnam's biggest heroes. What he did was utterly amazing and we're lucky ... to have him as our only living medal of honor recipient.' Thacker, a Salt Lake City resident at the time he joined the Army, did not attend the event. He received his Medal of Honor for his actions as a team leader in 1971 in the Kontum Province of Vietnam. When his base came under attack by North Vietnamese forces, he facilitated a retreat for his men, but remained behind for four hours, occupying a 'highly-exposed position' with 'complete disregard for his personal safety' to provide covering fire and direct friendly airstrikes, including even on his own position, in an effort to protect his men. After the immediate fighting, Thacker survived for eight days in unfriendly territory before reuniting with the Americans. In 1973, President Richard Nixon awarded Thacker a Medal of Honor.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Utah lawmakers shut down housing bill meant to give Utahns an edge over corporate home buyers
A home for sale in Salt Lake City is pictured on Monday, July 22, 2024. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) A bill meant to give everyday Utahns a slight edge over corporate buyers didn't survive its first legislative hurdle after lawmakers expressed concerns about restricting the housing market and potentially causing home sellers to face fair housing lawsuits. The House Political Subdivisions Committee on Tuesday voted 5-2 to hold HB151, a bill sponsored by Rep. Gay Lynn Bennion, D-Cottonwood Heights. It's not likely to gain traction in the 2025 Utah Legislature, with the session scheduled to end March 7. With HB151, Bennion wants to give Utahns a bit of an edge over corporate buyers of single-family homes in Utah's most populated county. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX To encourage Utahns to have first dibs on a home after it hits the market, HB151 would restrict a buyer from purchasing a home in Salt Lake County for 30 days after it's listed unless the buyer signs an affidavit of intent to live in the home for at least one year. To avoid taking too much of a heavy-handed approach, Bennion included a provision in the bill to allow sellers to sell to anyone in the first 30 days if they claim a need to sell the home faster, or if a renter would live in the single-family home on the day the buyer takes possession of it. 'This bill provides a cooling-off period for investors in (Salt Lake County) for the purchase of single-family homes, but also respects the seller and allows for the use of an exigent circumstance to accept any offer,' Bennion said. Her bill would also prohibit the bulk sale of foreclosed single-family homes to one buyer or more. 'The goal of this bill is to raise the moral question of home ownership to the transaction of the sale and purchase of single-family homes in (Salt Lake County),' Bennion said. How much of Utah's housing market is corporate-owned? This county is digging into the data She pointed to recent Salt Lake County data compiled by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy that showed 10,666 homes changed hands from non-corporate owners to corporate owners between 2018 and 2023. Utah News Dispatch reported on that data in August. Across the nation, institutional investors impact some cities more than others — and they're not as nearly prevalent in Utah as they are in major metros like Miami, Houston and Atlanta. But Bennion argued it's still happening to a concerning extent in Salt Lake County, and that Utah lawmakers should act to find ways to help Utahns have a better chance of competing with corporate buyers that can often offer cash. 'For three years, people have shared their concerns with me that investors are cutting into home ownership in negative ways,' Bennion said. 'Some investors use algorithms, some use cash, but they all push out the individual who is coming into home ownership for the first time and doesn't have those tools and experience.' Lisa Thompson, a real estate agent, sat alongside Bennion as she presented her bill. She said it would give people intending to live in the home a 'first shot' in the market, 'because it's hard to compete' with investors that don't have to jump through the same financing hoops as other buyers. However, she also said investors aren't as active in Utah as they were in 2020, when the West experienced a home buying frenzy amid the COVID-19 pandemic and low interest rates. But several real estate professionals and business owners spoke against Bennion's bill, arguing it wouldn't have a practical impact on bringing down the price of homes in Utah — but rather it would cause homes to sit on the market longer. Chris Sloan, a past president of the Utah Association of Realtors and a broker and owner of a real estate agency in Tooele, said that he supports Bennion's efforts to encourage home ownership but argued her bill would 'cause some real concerns.' 'This bill essentially requires the owners to give up first right of refusal to owner-occupied purchasers for 30 days,' Sloan said. 'First right of refusals, contractual right between buyers and sellers, is something that generally costs the seller money. Delaying a transaction for any period is expensive.' Taz Biesinger, with the Utah Home Builders Association, also argued 'this bill will not help the affordability crisis that we have in Utah.' He said investors are 'not a big player in the marketplace, Utah is unique that way.' 'This is just not part of the equation of housing affordability,' Biesinger said. Chris Gamvroulas, president of Ivory Development and president of the Utah Property Rights Coalition, also spoke against Bennion's bill. 'The solution to an under-supply is not to interfere in the exchange of real property between a willing buyer and a willing seller,' Gamvroulas said. Utah lawmakers say no to 'preemption,' halt 2 housing bills aimed at allowing smaller homes But Clark Bolin, a Murray resident, urged lawmakers to support the bill, arguing that 'merely building more homes has not worked. That's something that we keep trying, and it's not happening.' 'I don't think this is a perfect bill. And I don't think it actually goes far enough, honestly,' Bolin said, urging lawmakers to consider taxing corporate buyers at a higher rate than private owners. However, he said Bennion's bill 'starts the ball rolling on a really important conversation of home ownership and really allowing the private investor to have a leg up and a head start over corporate ownership.' Jennifer Cottam, a real estate agent in Cottonwood Heights — a city known for its desirable real estate near the base of the Cottonwood canyons — spoke in 'strong support' of Bennion's bill, saying she's seen first-hand the impact from corporate buyers. 'I work with families who are doing everything right. They're saving. They're planning. They're working hard,' She said. '(But) especially when the market's tough and (for) lower-price point homes, they're outbid by cash offers from investors.' However, Rep. Neil Walter, R-St. George, motioned to hold the bill rather than allowing it to advance to the House floor. While he said he's supportive of the 'principle of home ownership,' Bennion's bill 'is just the wrong tool to accomplish that policy objective.' 'I'm concerned that we're trying to use sellers as a public policy tool to make concessions … we're trying to force sellers to make concessions as part of our public policy objective,' Walter said. 'They don't have an obligation or shouldn't bear that cost.' Walter also expressed concerns about requiring sellers to pay attention to who they're selling to, which he said could 'create an avenue where we're going to end up with a whole bunch of fair housing violations.' The majority of the Republican-controlled House committee agreed with Walter, with only Bennion and Rep. Jake Fitisemanu, D-West Valley City, voting against his motion to hold the bill. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
BBC News
18-02-2025
- General
- BBC News
Woman reunited with wedding ring found on Valentine's Day
A woman has been reunited with her wedding ring after an appeal by a man who found it on Valentine's Bennion said he was walking past Marks & Spencer in Shrewsbury when he saw the ring, which was engraved with the wedding date from within the last two years and names, on the coverage on BBC Radio Shropshire and the BBC news website, bride Jane Jones messaged Mr Bennion on Tuesday, after her husband found his social media Jones said she was "absolutely thrilled", adding: "It's so lovely to have decent people and honest people". Mr Bennion, from Upton Magna, was walking past the store on Castle Street and stated he did not know "how I saw it". After showing the ring to his wife Jeana, they tried "Facebook pages and everything, but we're not [hitting] a big enough audience", before he approached the Jones said she was at home when she realised the ring had gone and soon "the house was upside down trying to find it"."I didn't know what to do and I was in despair," she said. Ms Jones had been to Marks & Spencer "to get something for Valentine's Day and then I was at work, so when I got home, I realised"."I was looking through my car and thinking 'it might be at work' and then I couldn't find it anywhere."On Monday she went to jewellers in Shrewsbury to mention her name and the inscription and "just make them aware".A woman at a pawnbrokers said she had seen something on Facebook about a missing ring, Ms Jones said. Ms Jones explained Mr Bennion replied to her message within about half an hour and "I told him what the inscription was and the dates and everything and it matched"."It's like amazing... I might never have found it. I never thought for a second that it had fallen off my hand."I didn't have a pair of gloves... I went through my pockets and my coat and everything."She told him when he returned it: "I'm so, so grateful to you, you wouldn't believe."Mr Bennion said: "It's the most fantastic feeling to think that I spotted it, picked it up and within a few days everything's full circle." Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
