Manslaughter charge following death of man on building site

36-year-old charged following August 2020 incident

A 36-year-old local man has been charged with manslaughter following the death of a construction worker at a building site last year. 

Police have confirmed he has also been charged with offences under the Health and Safety Act.

It follows an incident at King William's College in Castletown, on 4 August 2020, in which 56-year-old Gary Skelding died.

He fell from scaffolding whilst working, for Stewart Clague Services, on the science wing refurbishment project at the school.

A statement from SCS at the time described it as the ‘first major incident’ in the company’s 51 years of trading and said the company was devastated.

A joint investigation has now been conducted between the Isle of Man Constabulary and government's Health and Safety at Work Inspectorate. 

Officers say other charges will also be brought before the court which cannot currently be made public.  

Detective Inspector Michelle McKillop says: "This was a tragic event and it has affected many people - this includes people who were present, and witnessed what happened, as well as his wife, family and friends. 

"I would ask the public, regardless of their level of knowledge of the incident or those involved, to refrain from posting anything on social media that may be detrimental to the case and may also cause upset for the family and friends of all those involved."