Mum died of electric shock after 'negligence' by two workers, court told

Emma Shaw was hit with 240 volts as she tried to stop her flat being flooded in December, 2007

A young mum died of a catastrophic electric shock after negligence by two construction workers turned her flat into a death trap, a court heard.

Emma Shaw was hit with 240 volts as she tried to stop her flat being flooded in December, 2007.

Richard Matthews QC, prosecuting, told Wolverhampton Crown Court the negligence of electrician Christopher Tomkins and supervisor Neil Hoult resulted in her death.

Through their negligence an extremely dangerous situation was allowed to persist for at least 21 months until the events of 2007 unfolded, Mr Matthews said.

The court heard Miss Shaw, 22, was advised by her mother to turn off the stopcock, inside a cupboard, when she found flooding in her West Bromwich flat.

But she did not know the stopcock had become live after a screw penetrated an electric cable during construction work at her home in Grafton Road, West Bromwich.

Miss Shaw, who left her year-old son Brayden in the lounge as she tried to stop the flooding, was pronounced dead at Sandwell General Hospital.

Tomkins, 52, of Rowley Village, and Hoult, 53, of Dane Terrace, both Rowley Regis have each denied breaching Health and Safety at Work regulations by failing to discharge their duty correctly.

Mr Matthews said the pair were employed by Anchor Electrical and Building Services and had been engaged to carry out electrical work at the flats.

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Mum died of electric shock after 'negligence' by two workers, court told