![Tom Neate sustained fatal head injuries from a fall during a domestic demolition job in Staines [Photos from HSE]](/assets/news_articles/2026/02/1770045339_hse-glebe-road-demolition.jpeg)
Jason Hill had hired 19-year-old Thomas (Tom) Neate to help demolish a garage at a domestic property on Glebe Road in Staines-upon-Thames, in preparation for building an extension.
On 16th August 2023, Neate, who was local to the area, was on the garage roof removing tiles and other materials when he fell through an opening and suffered severe head injuries. He was taken to hospital but he died several weeks later on 23rd September.
An investigation by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) found that Hill, 59, of Ashford in Middlesex, had put no measures in place to prevent a fall from height, despite the clear risk. Work was being carried out directly from the roof with no scaffolding, decking or other protective systems to prevent a person falling through or from the structure.
During the course of the HSE investigation, other concerns were identified, including unsafe mini-digger use and a failure to stop members of the public entering the site, indicating broader failings in Hill鈥檚 approach to managing site safety.
The investigation also found no assessment to determine whether asbestos was present. Corrugated concrete sheets that were snapped and removed by hand were later found to be made from asbestos cement. There were three other workers were on site who were at risk of exposure to fibres as the sheets were handed down to them, as well as the family whose garage was being demolished.聽
Jason Hill, of Ashford, Middlesex, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 at Staines Magistrates Court on 30th January 2026. He was immediately jailed for a period of 12 months. No costs were awarded.
HSE inspector Jennifer Lester said after the hearing: 鈥淛ason Hill鈥檚 failure to put in place basic safety measures has cost a young man his life. The fact he has been sent to prison demonstrates just how seriously this has been taken.
鈥�Working at height remains one of the most well-known and significant causes of death and injury in construction, and simple, recognised precautions would have protected Thomas Neate from harm.
鈥淓ven small contractors and individuals working on domestic projects have a legal duty to ensure the safety of workers and members of the public. Failing to take these precautions can have devasting consequences, as this tragic incident starkly demonstrates.鈥�
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