An inquest has heard how Connor Lambert, a 24-year-old painter and avid Arsenal fan, died in July 2024 after a ladder he was moving came into contact with overhead power lines in Chester. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found the work at height had not been properly planned, supervised, or carried out safely, and that the risks of working near power lines were not adequately assessed.
Partner pays tribute to 'amazing' dad-to-be
Connor's partner, Megan McCann, who was 32 weeks pregnant at the time, described him as an amazing person. "He had the cheekiest grin and would light up any room he was in – he was so funny," she said. "He was a caring person who always put everyone else first. He was very ambitious and he was an avid Arsenal fan. He went to loads of matches with my father and brother."
Megan said Connor was overjoyed about the pregnancy, which they had been trying for for three years. "He never missed a midwife appointment and was elated when we found out we were having a baby girl. We had been on the phone talking the morning he died – I had just taken delivery of a Moses basket, and I was heavily pregnant at 32 weeks."
Within minutes of that call, Megan received another call telling her Connor had been in an accident and had died. She gave birth to their daughter 23 days later. "She knows daddy is in the sky, and at night he shines as a star – I'm making sure she knows who Connor is, but at some point I will have to explain to her what happened," she said. "I will never get over Connor's death – I still feel angry, numb and feel a massive part of my world has gone."
Father speaks of grief and anger
Connor's father, Craig West, said his son's death has changed him profoundly. "This experience has changed me, my emotions, my temperament and my outlook on life. I'm agitated regularly and can become angry easily. I have lost the spring in my step and no longer have the drive I once had; work has now become a chore," he said.
West added that the inquest findings made the accident even more tragic because it should have been easily avoided. "I do hold people responsible for this situation," he said.
HSE investigation findings
The HSE investigation found that Connor was moving a fully extended ladder with a colleague at the gable end of a property. The ladder either touched an overhead power line or came close enough to cause an electrical arc. Connor was killed instantly, while his colleague suffered burns to his hands, feet, and stomach.
The investigation also found that the original plan involved using a tower scaffold and ladders to paint the exterior of the property, including an area with a glass canopy. However, this approach was neither suitable nor safe, and the work did not follow the plan – ladders were used throughout instead.
Connor's stepdad, Daniel Watton, 50, who traded as Inside Out Painters and Decorators Property Maintenance, was given a suspended jail sentence in relation to the trainee painter's death. Arsenal FC was contacted for comment.
