Carpenter Craig Page’s inquest adjourned yet again

Published: 16 September, 2010
by CHARLOTTE CHAMBERS

AN inquest into the death of a carpenter who died on a building site in Hampstead was adjourned again on Monday after investigators said they needed more time.

Craig Page, 26, was crushed when the boom arm of a crane fell across him as he worked on a building site in Denning Road in March 2009.

The inquest, to be held at St Pancras Coroner’s Court, has now been adjourned until next May – more than two years after his death.

His fiancée Michelle O’Don­oghue, who lived with Mr Page and their daughter Shannon at their home in Caledonian Road, Islington, was this week defiant in the face of the delays. 

Speaking outside court, Ms O’Donoghue said: “I want every one of them cross examined and I want to hear what all of them have to say. If it takes two years, five years or 10 years, so be it, I want to hear what everyone has to say.”

Mr Page’s inquest was all set to go ahead in September last year but was halted when the directors behind the company that ran the site, Harris Calnan Construction, refused to give evidence on the grounds that it could harm their defence should they be prosecuted following an ongoing investigation.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the national body of safety regulations inspectors, are due to publish their findings into the tragedy soon, a short hearing at the court heard on Monday.

Ms O’Donoghue is in the process of taking Harris Calnan Construction to the High Court for alleged negligence in a compensation case for her and 31-month-old Shannon.

Miss O’Donoghue said: “I don’t care how long this takes as long as I get what I want. I want to know how and why this could have happened. It’s not going to bring him back, but how was it allowed to happen? How can someone let this happen?”

She added that the death of her partner – who she called “Craigy” – had still not “sunk in,” and that she suffered flashbacks of the awful moment police brought her the news in her kitchen.

“I’m still very angry,” she said. “I’m not going to be happy unless I hear everybody’s statements, and everyone is in court on the day.”