A construction boss has avoided jail after an award-winning joiner was crushed to death by a stack of building materials during a house renovation. 

Chloe Bidwell, 18, died after a stack of wooden board material fell on her while she was renovating a house for university students in Bangor in December 2023.

The boards, which could weigh up to 30kg each, were stacked vertically and unsecured against a wall. It is thought she may have been trying to retrieve a board from the pile when they fell on her, fatally crushing her neck.

The home was being renovated by Varcity Living, a student accomodation firm. At the time, Chloe had been working as an apprentice and was described as a ‘very talented young lady’. 

Chloe had been working on her own at the time of the fatal accident with, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said, ‘no lone working policy, inadequate supervision, and no safe storage procedures in place for the boards that killed her’.

In a scathing remark, the judge said the company’s risk assessment ‘wasn’t worth the paper it was written on’ as workers hadn’t seen it. 

The death promoted a Health and Safety Executive investigation – and led to Varcity’s boss, 45-year-old David Horrocks of Felinheli, North Wales, admitting a charge of failing to discharge a health and safety duty as a director in December.

Varcity Living, of Bangor, pleaded guilty to on or before December 20, 2023, failing to ensure the safety of employees including Chloe Bidwell, and non-employees.

Father-of-three Horrocks was given a 26-week prison sentence, suspended for two years, and his company fined £50,000 and ordered to pay £10,080 costs.

Chloe Bidwell, 18, died after a plasterboard fell on her while she was renovating a house for university students in Bangor

Pictured: David Horrocks, a construction boss who has avoided jail after Chloe was crushed to death

District Judge Gwyn Jones said there had been a ‘systemic failure’ of risk assessments and that Chloe should not have been on her own.

Chloe was found dead underneath a piece of plasterboard at a Varcity Living student accommodation in December 2023 where she had been working unsupervised. 

She was only found after failing to return home and after messages to her phone went unread.

An inquest in January 2024 heard from Home Office pathologist Dr Brian Rodgers, who provided a provisional cause of death of compression of the neck.

North West Wales assistant coroner Sarah Riley said at the time: ‘The initial circumstances as reported to me are that Coed Celyn is a residential property undergoing complete renovation. 

‘It was therefore a building site at the time of Chloe Bidwell’s death.

‘Shortly before 7pm on December 20, North Wales police control room were made aware of a female now known to be Chloe Bidwell, not conscious or breathing, inside the hallway of the property with plasterboard appearing to have fallen on her back.’

Paying tribute, Chloe’s mother Clare Stephenson-Brown said her daughter was ‘full of life, energy and determination’, and had ambitions to become a firefighter. 

‘Chloe died instantly and alone. The fact that she was by herself in those final moments is something that causes us unbearable pain and something we will carry forever,’ she said.

‘Knowing how full of life she was and how much she had yet to experience makes her loss impossible to accept.

‘As a family we feel like Chloe was let down at work, and because of that, we have lost her forever. Our lives will never, ever be the same again. 

‘We just hope that those responsible truly understand the enormity of what has happened, not only the loss of Chloe’s life, but the devastation caused to her family, her friends, and her community.’

Chloe had been a joinery apprentice with the student accommodation provider and encouraged other female learners to consider a career in a trade. 

She won the gold prize in the Welsh building skills joinery awards at Coleg Menai for her carpentry work in 2023, beating young male students.

Chloe always encouraged other young girls to consider a career in trade.  

At the time she said: ‘I’ve really enjoyed the whole experience.

‘I love my apprenticeship and building houses and have been able to create bespoke pieces through these competitions. It’s taught me so much.

‘Winning a medal is incredible – not just because of the effort I’ve put in, but also the commitment from the colleges in preparing me.

‘My apprenticeship workplace at Varcity Living has been supportive throughout the whole process too.

‘To begin with, competing in a male-dominant category was quite nerve-wracking, but the guys were all lovely and supportive.

‘However, it would be lovely to see more females and familiar faces competing.’

Rachael Newman, an inspector with the HSE, said following the conclusion of the case: ‘The tragedy of Chloe’s death is made all the more jarring because it was so wholly avoidable. 

‘Today’s result cannot bring Chloe back, but we hope the sentence handed down brings some solace to her family, whose lives carry on without her. They remain in our thoughts, and we offer them our deepest condolences.’