Frank Finnie: Firm fined £80,000 after pensioner found dead at foot of dark stairwell in Aberdeen

The company pleaded guilty to maintenance failings after the death of the 80-year-old man.

A company has been fined £80,000 after pleading guilty to maintenance failings that led to the death of an 80-year-old man.

Frank Finnie's body was discovered at the foot of a dark stairwell in the indoor Aberdeen Market on June 9 2018.

He had been reported missing by care workers at his sheltered housing accommodation the day before.

Aberdeen court: The company pleaded guilty to maintenance failings after the death of the 80-year-old man.

A police officer investigating his disappearance found Mr Finnie's body at the bottom of the fire escape stairwell.

The company that operated the market, the Market Village Company Limited, was fined £80,000 at Aberdeen Sheriff Court on Monday after pleading guilty to contravening the Fire (Scotland) Act, according to a report from the Crown Office.

The circumstances surrounding the death of Mr Finnie were jointly investigated by Police Scotland and Aberdeen City Council, the Crown Office said.

The investigation found the company had not ensured a suitable system of maintenance was in place and in particular failed to maintain the lighting within the south middle fire escape stairwell.

The consequence of the company's failure was the death of Mr Finnie, after he entered the stairwell in the dark and fell down the stairs.

Alistair Duncan, head of the Crown Office's Health and Safety Investigation Unit, said: "This fatal incident was entirely foreseeable and could have been avoided had Market Village ensured that the lighting in the fire escape stairwell had been properly maintained.

"The family of Frank Finnie must live with the consequences of the company's failings.

"While Market Village has taken effective steps to remedy the deficiency in the maintenance of the fire escape stairwell, this conviction and sentence should serve as a reminder to other companies to adhere to the regulations and that failure to do so can have tragic consequences."

Reporting by PA

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