The Aporia · Construction firm director is jailed after worker, 30, died when trench collapsed on him during home renovation

Construction firm director is jailed after worker, 30, died when trench collapsed on him during home renovation

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Allhusen, O. (2026, September 15). Construction firm director is jailed after worker, 30, died when trench collapsed on him during home renovation. Daily Mail. https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16133797/Construction-firm-director-jailed-worker-30-died-trench-collapsed-home-renovation.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490

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Peter Clifford, 63, a former director of Hintonwood East Anglia construction firm, was sentenced to eight years and ten months in prison for gross negligence manslaughter after a trench collapse during home renovation work killed laborer Dale Baker, 30. The incident occurred on December 15, 2020, in Woodbridge when Clifford failed to implement proper safety measures such as support frames and fencing around the trench, leading to its collapse. Clifford also received sentences for two Health and Safety at Work Act violations, with his firm receiving similar penalties.

Written by AI on 2026-09-16, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

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Story summary

Peter Clifford, former director of Hintonwood East Anglia, was sentenced to eight years and ten months in prison after pleading guilty to gross negligence manslaughter for a worker's death during a home renovation project in Woodbridge in December 2020. Dale Baker, 30, died when the trench he was working on collapsed, followed by the collapse of a conservatory foundation. Clifford admitted two Health and Safety at Work Act offenses, while his company also pleaded guilty to two similar charges. The police investigation found that proper safety measures were either not implemented or inadequate, including shuttering to prevent collapses, and that the trench had been dug dangerously close to the conservatory, posing a risk of undermining it. Clifford received an additional ten-year ban from serving as a company director.

Written for “Trench Collapse Death Trial” on 2026-11-02, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

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Analyzed 2026-09-16 · source text last changed 2026-09-16 · how these are computed

Who wrote this

Olivia Allhusen

47 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction

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Claims (12 extracted, 1 hedged)

- See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source A former director of a construction firm has been jailed after a worker died in a collapsed trench during a project to build an extension for a house. Labourer Dale Baker, 30, suffocated after the trench collapsed on him followed by the foundations of a conservatory in Woodbridge in December 2020, Suffolk Police said. asserted

Police → see → December

Peter Clifford, 63, whose company Hintonwood East Anglia had been engaged for the extension project, pleaded guilty at Ipswich Crown Court to gross negligence manslaughter, the force said. asserted

force → engage → manslaughter

Clifford, of Holland Road, Felixstowe, also pleaded guilty to two offences under the Health and Safety at Work Act, and his firm pleaded guilty to two offences under the same act, police said. asserted

police → plead → act

He was sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court on Tuesday to eight years and 10 months in prison and banned from acting as the director of a company for 10 years, Suffolk Police said. asserted

Police → sentence → years

The force said that on the day of Mr Baker's death, December 15, a trench was dug along the side of a conservatory attached to a house in Haughgate Close, Woodbridge. asserted

trench → say → Close

A building inspector came to look at the works, at which time the trench was around 1.5 metres deep, and it was found that the existing structure had a basement. asserted

structure → come → basement

The inspector told Clifford he would need to dig an inspection hole to see where the basement wall was, as this would determine what type of foundation would be required for the extension. asserted

type → tell → extension

Peter Clifford (pictured), whose company Hintonwood East Anglia had been engaged for the extension project, pleaded guilty at Ipswich Crown Court to gross negligence manslaughter, the force said Police said Clifford dug down deeper in the trench, but that health and safety measures such as shuttering – where a supporting frame is used to prevent collapse – were either not implemented or were completely inadequate. An investigation also determined that the trench had been dug dangerously close to the conservatory, creating a risk of undermining it, and that Clifford took no action to support its foundations. asserted

Clifford → picture → foundations

The trench was also not fenced off to prevent people from falling in, investigators found. asserted

investigators → fence → people

Superintendent Mike Brown, the senior investigating officer, said it was 'clear' Clifford 'had failed in his duty as an employer to ensure the safety of the construction site and implement basic measures that would've prohibited a tragic incident such as this to occur.' asserted

incident → investigate → this

He added: 'To then compound matters by failing to appear at court and going on the run displayed a level of contempt for Dale's family and the judicial process.' Richard Rajham, HM Inspector of Health & Safety at the Health and Safety Executive, said: 'The tragic death of Dale Baker again shows the importance of planning to ensure that proper precautions are taken to control the risks from work in and around excavations. ' asserted

precautions → add → excavations

Workers continue to die and be injured in collapsing excavations all of these could be avoided with proper planning and control measures.' uncertain

all → continue → measures

Construction firm director is jailed after worker, 30, died when trench collapsed on him during home renovation

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Claims (12 extracted, 1 hedged)