A “handsome, caring” scaffolder just weeks from his wedding day fell 23ft to his death after being hit by debris inside an industrial tower, a court heard.
Two building firms were this week fined more than £1.3 million over John Altoft’s death in January 2012.
Mr Altoft, 29, was working at the Cemex cement works in Rugby when the tragedy happened.
The Health and Safety Executive said Cemex and the scaffolding firm should have foreseen the risk of falling debris during the work.
Mr Altoft’s heartbroken fiancée Carly Sargent said: “Even now, two years on I still miss John.
“Mine and John’s life together was taken away from us.
“We grew up together and he worked hard all his life with the intention of becoming my husband and having a family.”
Warwick Crown Court heard Mr Altoft and his colleague Ty Smart were inside the tower when a chunk of concrete crashed onto them, sending Mr Altoft plummeting to the ground and leaving him with catastrophic head injuries.
Mr Smart was left with wrist and arm fractures and has been unable to work since.
“Both Cemex UK Operations Ltd and Cape Industrial Services Ltd Scaffolding should have co-ordinated and planned this high risk work to a higher standard,” said a Health and Safety Executive spokesman.
Michelle Altoft, Mr Altoft’s mother, said: “John was very loyal and hard working. He turned into the most handsome, caring young man, and I could not be more proud of him. He would help anyone and be there when you needed him.
“I have lost the most precious thing any mother could lose, and will never be replaced – my child.”
Surrey-based Cemex UK Operations Ltd was fined £700,000 after admitted breaching section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act, which Cape Industrial Services Ltd, based in Uxbridge, admitted breaching section 2 of the act and was fined £600,000.
Both firms were ordered to pay £90,000 in costs.
HSE inspector Sue Thompson said: “John Altoft should have been celebrating his wedding, but instead his family suffered a terrible loss.
“This was an entirely preventable incident and proper planning and protection from the foreseeable danger of falling material would have prevented this from happening.”
