The family of a man who died in a fall at Longannet Power Station has received £1m in damages.
Gary Robertson suffered fatal injuries after falling from a platform suspended 30-feet in the air. The father-of-two, from Cowdenbeath, was working at the decommissioned power station as it was being prepared for demolition.
Demolition firm Brown & Mason was fined just £5,000 after bosses admitted health and safety failings that led to the death. But after settling a civil action, Gary’s wife said the stark difference in outcomes shows there is a need for justice reforms so businesses guilty of fatal accidents face tougher punishments.
Karen Robertson said: “Something is clearly wrong with sentencing guidelines, because a £5,000 fine is disgusting – Gary’s funeral even cost more than that.
“We need to make sure the laws designed to hold people accountable can’t be manipulated to let those responsible escape justice.”
Gary died on 6 February 2019, at the former power plant after a metal grating panel on a pipe bridge platform gave way.
He remained conscious after the fall, but suffered a cardiac arrest a short time after.
Retired social care worker Karen had been with her husband for 38 years – they were married for 33 years, had two children together and three grandchildren.
She stated: “What happens after these kinds of things is just horrendous, you find yourself in an unexpected and cold world – it’s all investigations, fiscals and paperwork and the way these people talk to you I think they forget that while it might be normal in their lives, it’s not normal in the lives of those affected.
“For example, the first thing Gary’s employers sent to me wasn’t a sympathy card or a phone call – it was his P45.
“And even after the civil case they’ve still never given an apology, closure is not a word that will ever resonate with me because I will never feel like the criminal action ended in a way that we or Gary deserved.
“We were told that because it was a health and safety prosecution we weren’t even allowed to provide a family statement talking about the impact of Gary’s loss – but if it was a fatal car accident then families can do this, so that’s another thing that I think needs looked at to help families be heard.”
Brown & Mason was fined £5,000 after a criminal prosecution at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court. The sentence would have been £100,000 - but it was reduced by the sheriff after company bosses claimed they had no assets to pay more.
Digby Brown Solicitors investigated the circumstances of the accident in parallel with the criminal investigation.
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