21/06/2026
An uninsured business owner from Lancashire has been given a suspended prison sentence after an employee suffered life changing injuries falling through a roof.
Not only did Gary Saville employ Joshua Black to carry out the skylight replacement work without any control measures in places, he did so without having the necessary insurance in place.
Fifty-four-year-old Saville (trading as Bespoke Landscapes and Buildings) from Preesall in Poulton-Le-Fylde, was given an 12-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months and told to complete 260 hours of unpaid work.
Mr Black, also from Preesall, was taken by air ambulance to Preston Hospital and as a result of the incident, required two lung operations, collarbone surgery as well as sustaining multiple bone fractures.
Our investigation found that Saville had instructed him to walk across the fragile roof surface without any control measures, such as crawling boards and netting, in place to prevent or protect against a fall, ultimately leading to him falling through a fragile roof light.
At an earlier hearing, Saville also pleaded guilty to not having Employers’ Liability Compulsory Insurance (ELCI) at the time of the incident.
Most employers are required by law to provide ELCI cover to ensure successful civil claims can be met.
You can read more about the case here: https://press.hse.gov.uk/2026/06/19/uninsured-business-owner-sentenced-after-man-fell-through-roof/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=prosecution-push