Summary
Parkwood Community Leisure Ltd has been fined £60,000 and ordered to pay £40,000 in costs following the death of 34-year-old Albert Xhediku at the Mountbatten Leisure Centre in Portsmouth. In January 2016, Mr Xhediku was electrocuted by a floodlight while climbing a fence to retrieve a football. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company had failed to inspect or maintain the electrical system for several years, resulting in worn and faulty wiring.
Analysis
The case underscores a catastrophic failure in health and safety management, specifically regarding the maintenance of ageing infrastructure. A critical aggravating factor was the company’s failure to react to a prior warning; an off-duty police officer had reported receiving a shock from the same equipment just weeks before the fatal incident. By neglecting this report, the firm failed in its duty of care under Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The ten-year period between the accident and the final sentencing in 2026 reflects the complexity of the investigation and serves as a reminder that corporate liability for safety breaches persists long after the initial incident.