Owner of building company jailed after worker nearly dies

The owner of a Bradford-based building company has been jailed for six months and ordered to pay £90,000 in compensation following the near-death of one of his employees.

Shah Pola denied responsibility for the incident, which resulted in migrant worker Dusan Dudi sustaining what were originally thought to be fatal injuries after he was hit by a concrete lintel in 2005.

Dudi miraculously survived the incident, coming round from a coma after his life-support machine was switched off.

Bradford Crown Court heard that Pola had not supplied his workers with protective clothing or training and had not ensured that proper scaffolding was in place.

At the ruling Judge Peter Benson said Pola had displayed a callous disregard for the safety of his employees and told the 36-year-old businessman that all he "was concerned about was getting the job done and getting it done as cheaply as possible". 

Pola has been ordered by the court to pay 25% of the compensation within six months. An appeal has already been lodged against the conviction and Pola’s lawyer has 28 days in which to appeal against the sentence.

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