Roof death boss to be charged

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The owner of a roofing company is to be charged with manslaughter following the death of a teenage employee, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has said.

Roy Clarke, of North Eastern Roofing, will be charged in connection with the death of 17-year-old Daniel Dennis.

Daniel, from Pyle, Bridgend, died after falling through a skylight at a store near Newport in 2003 while at work.

A spokesman for the CPS said it was bringing the charge after conducting a review into the case.

Daniel had been working for just seven days in his first real job for North Eastern Roofing when he died at Matalan in Cwmbran in April 2003.

The decision to prosecute his employer follows successful judicial review proceedings backed by the GMB union and solicitors acting for the Dennis family.

The CPS decided in March of last year there was no realistic prospect that a criminal prosecution would succeed.

But later that year, in December, the High Court quashed the CPS decision not to bring a prosecution.

Sitting with Mr Justice Lloyd Jones, Lord Justice Waller ruled there had been "failures" over the factors which influenced the CPS not to prosecute.

Chief Crown Prosecutor for Gwent David Archer said: "Since being asked to review the case, a team of senior CPS lawyers has carefully looked at the circumstances of Daniel's death and concluded that a charge of manslaughter can be brought against Roy Clarke.

"Such are the complexities in a sensitive case like this, it has been a time consuming process.

"However, the CPS is now in a position to prosecute Mr Clarke and that process will now begin."