Bradford builder sentenced after asylum seeker paid £8 an hour as casual labourer fell to his death

Sarabjit Singh, 44, was sentenced to six months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work.

Eraj Rahanpour, 29 and originally from Iran, had been picked up by Singh on August 25 2021, from a road popular with people looking for work.

Mr Rahanpour was to be paid £50 for six hours of labour, mixing sand, cement and water for two other workers to render a house.

The self-employed builder dropped off Mr Rahanpour at the site but during the afternoon he fell from the top level of a scaffold onto the driveway below, suffering serious injuries.

He was taken to Leeds General Infirmary where he was placed into a medically induced coma.

A decision was later made to remove life support, and Mr Rahanpour died a fortnight later on September 8.

A Health and Safety Executive investigation found Singh had provided domestic-type ladders for the works that were not secured sufficiently and did not provide safe access to the scaffold platform.

The ladders had numerous defects, while safety gates provided with the scaffold had been tied back, creating an opening through which people could fall.

Singh hadn’t done a risk assessment and there was no evidence any of the workers were supervised or had formal training.

Singh, of Glenlee Road, Bradford, was found guilty of a health and safety breach at Leeds Magistrates. The judge ordered no costs.

Paul Thompson, a principal inspector at HSE said: "This is an extremely tragic case where a vulnerable person seeking an opportunity to work sadly didn't make it home that evening.

“Mr Rahanpour's nearest family member resides in Canada, making this case all the more unfortunate.

“We are able to provide a voice for Mr Rahanpour to ensure failures by Mr Singh have been held to account.

"Those putting people to work need to fully assess and control the risks from working at height, and ensure suitable training, guidance and supervision.

"Equipment used for work should be suitable for the purpose intended and in an efficient state of repair."