A devastated dad bitterly attacked the company he
A devastated dad bitterly attacked the company he holds responsible after his son plunged to his death from the headquarters of publishing giant Penguin.
Richard Stainton, 54, was at the scene when 21-year-old window cleaner Ian fell from an allegedly faulty cradle.
Penguin, together with insurance company Eagle Star and cradle maintenance firm PMA all deny liability for the tragedy.
Blackfriars Crown Court has heard that a cradle supporting pin which snapped was cheaply made and the cradle itself was not properly looked after.
Mr Stainton launched his attack when the barrister for PMA apologised to him in court.
Mr William Stevenson, QC, said: ‘On behalf of my clients I would like to say how sorry they are.
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Barely able to disguise his contempt, Mr Stainton replied: ‘With all due respect, they are a little bit late.
It has taken three years for them to say that.
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‘Penguin came to my son’s funeral.
PMA didn’t do a thing,’ said Mr Stainton, adding he did not accept the apology.
‘I think PMA are a right cowboy firm,’ he told the jury.
‘You are angry and bitter about it,’ said Mr Stevenson.
‘Yes I am,’ the father replied.
The court has heard the Staintons lived together at 18 Knowles View, Totternhoe, Dunstable, and they ran the window cleaning business together.
Before the incident the father had repeatedly warned Penguin over the safety of the cradle at their Wright’s Lane offices in Kensington, the jury has heard.
On May 21, 1997 the pin snapped and a second wrenched apart by the full weight of the cradle, sending Mr Stainton to his death.
The prosecution claim the pin was badly corroded because it had been exposed to rainwater, making the situation ‘a timebomb waiting to go off.
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It was the duty of PMA, to maintain the cradle equipment and Penguin’s insurer Eagle Star should have inspected the equipment, the court heard.
The company which manufactured the pins, Brandtime Ltd, have gone bankrupt and did not appear before the court.
Penguin, Eagle Star Insurance Ltd and PMA all deny exposing non employees to health and safety risks.
The three companies also deny failure to cooperate and coordinate with other employers sharing the same workplace in order to comply with the Heath and Safety at Work Act.
The trial continues.
ends
