A CONTRACTOR has been fined £750 over the death of a Polish labourer at a house in Wembley in 2006.

Peter Juszczyz, 21, fell into a trench full of water while working on a house extension in Charterhouse Avenue on June 30 2006.

The Polish immigrant's death was judged by a coroner as accidental in 2008 but investigations by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) continued into the circumstance surrounding his death.

Chris Byrne, of Christchurch Avenue, Kilburn, who was in charge of the site, was on Tuesday, December 15, found guilty of breaching construction regulations, fined £750 and also ordered to pay £750 in costs.

The court heard Mr Juszczyz, who had limited knowledge of English, was told by Mr Byrne to fill earth round concrete blocks in an area next to the extension.

Mr Byrne uncovered a trench which was full of water and left the site, but when he returned later in the day he found Mr Juszczyz dead in the pit, having fallen in head first.

Monica Babb, a HSE inspector, said: “The labourer had little experience and was left alone with a excavation pit that wasn’t properly guarded. His death was clearly avoidable as the risks of excavations and falling from height is well known.

“Those running construction sites, whether they are domestic or commercial jobs, have a duty of care to supervise vulnerable workers on their sites.”