A roofing business owner has been convicted and fined following the death of an employee who fell from a roof while carrying out maintenance work. Matthew Ryan, aged 33, sustained fatal injuries after falling from a roof edge at a residential property in St Cyrus during March 2024. Andrew Kenyon, 40, who operates Stonehaven Roofing Services, admitted breaching health and safety regulations at Aberdeen Sheriff Court.
The court imposed a fine of £14,000 on Kenyon, along with a victim surcharge of £1,050. According to reporting on the case, the original fine before an early-plea discount was £20,000, reduced to the final penalty of £15,050 after Kenyon's prompt admission of guilt. The employer apologised unreservedly in court for the failings that led to the tragedy.
Ryan was removing a skylight from the property on Mercury Terrace in St Cyrus on 13 March 2024 when the accident occurred. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) conducted an investigation into the incident, which concluded that the company had breached health and safety rules that contributed to the fatal fall. The prosecution followed this investigation and resulted in Thursday's court hearing.
Widow's tribute to 'utterly adored' husband
Nicola Pert, Ryan's widow, released a statement through law firm Digby Brown expressing her grief and the irreplaceable loss her family has endured. The couple had been together for 12 years, married for five of those years, and shared a deep partnership built on shared interests and companionship.
In her statement, Pert described her husband's character and their life together:
Matt and I spent nearly half our lives together as partners and best friends. He was hard-working, funny, reliable and a motoring enthusiast and I'll miss travelling with him all over the UK for random, fun days out - we really did everything together and I will sincerely cherish the memories of our time together.
Pert emphasised the preventable nature of the tragedy and its devastating impact on those closest to Ryan:
The manner of Matt's death was completely avoidable and robbed me and both our families of a future with a man we all utterly adored.
She also reflected on the conviction process and its significance for her family's path toward closure:
It would be wrong to say I am 'glad' about anything that has happened around this conviction because, to me, there's nothing to possibly be glad about. It is however right that justice is done and this early admission of guilt at least spares us additional unnecessary anguish.
Pert concluded her remarks by acknowledging the emotional weight of the proceedings:
His loss is something I don't think I'll ever fully come to terms with.
Key Facts
- Matthew Ryan, 33, died from injuries sustained in a fall from a roof edge while removing a skylight on 13 March 2024 in St Cyrus, Aberdeenshire
- Andrew Kenyon, 40, trading as Stonehaven Roofing Services, admitted health and safety failings and was fined £14,000 plus a £1,050 victim surcharge
- The Health and Safety Executive investigation determined that the company's breaches of safety regulations contributed directly to the fatal accident
- Ryan's widow emphasised that the death was entirely preventable and has devastated both her and their extended families
