Roof Fall Head Teacher Fined

A Merseyside head teacher has been fined £20,000 for failing to ensure the safety of his students when one of them fell through a school roof.

Liverpool Crown Court heard how, in August 2008, John Summerfield led a group of "slightly inebriated" sixth formers on to the roof of Sacred Heart Catholic College in Crosby.


Shortly after, student Joel Murray fell through the skylight fracturing his skull.

Judge Nigel Gilmour QC described Mr Summerfield as "very caring", having taken the students on the roof to show them renovation work during an A-levels result party, but said he "didn't really think of the safety aspects of taking them on the roof".

Even though he issued a warning regarding the skylight the teenage student fell through it and landing in the corridor below.

Summerfield, 65, had to pay £22,708 in costs and was convicted of breaching the Health and Safety Act.

(BMcN/GK)