Parents Honor Their Award-Winning Daughter, 18, Who Tragically Died in Plasterboard Accident While Company Director Escapes Jail Time

THE parents of an award-winning teenage daughter have paid tribute after she was killed by falling plasterboard, as a company director avoids prison.

, 18, for university students.

Chloe Bidwell was a talented teenager, having won a gold medal in joinery Credit: WNS David Horrocks admitted as a director failing to discharge a health and safety duty Credit: Andrew Price / View Finder Pictures

A judge said the company’s risk assessment “wasn’t worth the paper it was written on” as workers hadn’t seen it.

Keen rugby player Chloe was described as a “very talented young lady” and had won a gold medal in joinery at the “Skills Competition “.

In a victim impact statement, her mother Clare Stephenson-Brown said her daughter was “full of life, energy and determination” and was “about to travel the world and begin a journey to becoming a firefighter”.

“The fact that she was by herself in those final moments is something which causes us unbearable pain,” she said.

Chloe had been a joinery apprentice with Varcity Living and had been renovating a property to turn it into student accomodation Credit: WNS The teenager had also been a keen rugby player Credit: WNS

and the and Safety Executive probed the tragedy which happened at the Varcity Living student accommodation in , North Wales.

Chloe had been a joinery apprentice with the student accommodation provider and encouraged other female learners to consider a career in a trade.

Her family were in court when David Horrocks, 45, of Felinheli, North Wales, admitted as a director failing to discharge a duty.

Varcity Living, of Bangor, pleaded guilty to on or before December 20, 2023, failing to ensure the safety of employees including Chloe Bidwell, and non-employees.

Father-of-three Horrocks, was given a 26-week sentence, suspended for two years, and his company fined £50,000 and ordered to pay £10,000 costs.

District Judge Gwyn Jones said there had been a “systemic failure” of risk assessments and that Chloe should not have been on her own.

The teenager was renovating a house at Coed Celyn, Deiniol Road, which was being upgraded for students, when she was found dead.

pathologist Dr Brian Rodgers had provided a provisional cause of death of compression of the neck, north-west Wales assistant coroner Sarah Riley said at Caernarfon.

Chloe won the gold prize in the Welsh building skills joinery awards at Coleg Menai for her carpentry work in 2023, beating young male students.

At the time she said: “I’ve really enjoyed the whole experience.

“I love my apprenticeship and building houses and have been able to create bespoke pieces through these competitions. It’s taught me so much.

“Winning a medal is incredible – not just because of the effort I’ve put in, but also the commitment from the colleges in preparing me.

“My apprenticeship workplace at Varcity Living has been supportive throughout the whole process too.

“To begin with, competing in a male dominant category was quite nerve wracking, but the guys were all lovely and supportive.

“However, it would be lovely to see more females and familiar faces competing.”

Chloe was also a keen sportswoman and played for Llangefni rugby club and loved skydiving.

The coroner said: “The initial circumstances as reported to me are that Coed Celyn is a residential undergoing complete renovation.

“It was therefore a building site at the time of Chloe Bidwell’s death.

“Shortly before 7pm on December 20, North Wales police control room were made aware of a female now known to be Chloe Bidwell, not conscious or breathing, inside the hallway of the property with plasterboard appearing to have fallen on her back.”