Victim died before ruling

GEORGE O’Donnell died just two months before the landmark ruling that has given his family some peace of mind as they grieve.

The 80-year-old grandfather-of-three, who worked in the building trade, already had pleural plaques when he developed mesothelioma.

Both are caused by exposure to asbestos but the latter is fatal.

His daughter Elaine Darling, 55, from Glasgow, said: “My dad was a builder all his life and health and safety was never an issue back then.

“It was hard to see the deterioration in someone who had so much energy and so much to give.

“He kept our spirits up even though he was going through the illness himself.”

She added: “It’s just so hard to see someone you love in that position. It was especially hard on my mum who looked after my dad morning, noon and night.”