Hove hotel ladder death: John Spiller faces negligence charge

John Nicholas Spiller is accused of gross negligence manslaughter over the death of Graham Tester at the former Lansdowne Place Hotel in Brunswick Street, Hove.

It is alleged that the 51-year-old company director breached his duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act.

Works were being carried out by his company Southern Asphalt Ltd, where he was a director, at the site in Hove in July 2018.

Spiller appeared before Brighton Magistrates’ Court where he faced the manslaughter charge and the charge of breaching workplace safety laws.

He entered no plea during the hearing earlier this month, and the case will go to Lewes Crown Court next month.

Previously The Argus reported how Mr Tester died after reportedly falling from a ladder at the site.

Emergency services were called to the construction site at 11.20am on July 27, 2018.

John Spiller has been charged with gross negligence manslaughter over the death of Graham Tester at the former Lansdowne Place Hotel in Brunswick Street, Hove

Mr Tester had suffered life-threatening injuries and was rushed to the Royal Sussex County Hospital where he later died.

Police and the Health and Safety Executive were called in to investigate his death.

Spiller, of Fishersgate Close, Portslade, was charged with gross negligence manslaughter as an individual and for breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act as a company director.

The first charge alleges that he “unlawfully killed Graham Tester by gross negligence”.

Police and investigators were called to the scene. John Spiller has been charged with gross negligence manslaughter over the death of Graham Tester at the former Lansdowne Place Hotel in Brunswick Street, Hove

It was claimed he “owed Graham Tester a duty to take reasonable care in the planning of, the preparation of, and the operation of roofing repair works at Lansdowne Place Hotel in Brunswick Street, Hove”.

The charge states that Spiller “failed to ensure an adequate risk assessment, with no method statement prepared for roofing repairs”.

He “failed to provide or ensure the provision of scaffolding, allowing safe access to the roof and proper edge protection”, it was alleged.

The charge also accuses him of “failing to provide proper lifting equipment for transportation of roofing materials to the roof”.

John Spiller has been charged with gross negligence manslaughter over the death of Graham Tester at the former Lansdowne Place Hotel in Brunswick Street, Hove

Spiller “failed to provide or ensure the provision of measures to prevent or mitigate a fall from height”, it was alleged.

He also “instructed Graham Tester to commence roofing works knowing that adequate safety measures were not in place”, Brighton Magistrates’ Court heard.

It was claimed that “these amounted to gross negligence” and that this “was the substantial cause of the death of Graham Tester”.

Police and investigators were called to the scene. John Spiller has been charged with gross negligence manslaughter over the death of Graham Tester at the former Lansdowne Place Hotel in Brunswick Street, Hove

Spiller, a director of Southern Asphalt Ltd, was also charged in his role with the company for breaching health and safety laws in that the firm “failed to conduct its undertaking in such a way as to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, that persons in its employment were not exposed to the risk of injury or death by falling from height”.

The former Lansdowne Hotel was famous for hosting guests including Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill and James Bond and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang author Ian Fleming.

That company went into administration in 2013, and the site was derelict until repair works began to restore the building.

John Spiller has been charged with gross negligence manslaughter over the death of Graham Tester at the former Lansdowne Place Hotel in Brunswick Street, Hove

It was originally built in 1830 as six terrace townhouses which included the Dudley House private boarding school.

It became the Dudley Hotel in the 1880s, and became the Lansdowne Place Hotel in 2004. Now the building has been converted into flats as part of the Dudley Mansions.

Spiller is due to answer the charges at Lewes Crown Court on June 3.

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