THE widow of a Basingstoke man, who tragically died when a wall collapsed on him, has expressed both grief and relief following the conclusion of a lengthy investigation that resulted in a fine for a charitable trust.
Father-of-two Peter Konitzer was fatally crushed when a section of a wall collapsed onto him in an excavation at Pewsham Locks, Chippenham, on August 24, 2016.
The 63-year-old had been inside the excavation removing temporary propping that was supporting the wall when the section collapsed.
Wilts and Berks Canal Trust undertook the restoration work, for which Peter was volunteering, as part of its project to preserve, conserve and improve the route of the Wilts and Berks Canal.
READ MORE: Charitable trust fined more than £30k after collapsing wall killed Basingstoke man
The trust has now been ordered to pay more than £40,000 after a joint investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Wiltshire Police found severe safety failings.
Peter's widow, Margot Konitzer, 73, who is a Hospital Radio Basingstoke presenter, has now spoken to the Gazette about the impact of the eight-year legal ordeal.
“In a way, this investigation and the order have given closure to our family,” Margot said.
“We didn’t need to go through eight years of agony. But we are thankful to HSE for the investigation, and they mean business.”
Margot also expressed frustration at the perceived lack of accountability for charitable organisations.
“We are quite upset at the attitude of the Government and employers," she said.
"There is hypocrisy behind the legislation. It was very painful to listen to the defence arguments because of their disregard for human life. The charitable trust has Royal patronage and they wanted to wash it under the bridge."
Margot also highlighted a broader issue regarding volunteer rights and legislative gaps.
“When it happened it should have made national news and it never did," she said.
"The problem is there is no real legislation against charities and there are no rights for volunteers. And because it is a charity, they couldn’t be fined a huge amount because they do good work. The judge said the charity would have to close if they were to be fined a big amount.”
Born in Germany, Peter's early life was challenging.
His father, a private in Hitler’s Army, was captured by the British during the Normandy invasion. Before that, his mother tragically died giving birth to his sister.
After being released as a prisoner of war, Peter's father chose to settle in the UK after he remarried his late wife's sister and had three more children.
Peter grew up in Clifton, Bedfordshire, facing difficulties due to his German heritage.
He was always seen by the neighbourhood as "the German boy down the road".
Despite the challenges, he excelled academically, attending Stratton Grammar School in Biggleswade and later Newcastle University to study physics.
He completed a postgraduate teaching certificate at Canterbury Christ Church University before realising his passion lay in petroleum engineering, leading him to Imperial College London, where he studied for his Masters Degree.
It was during that time that he met Margot, and the couple married in 1980, raising two children, William and Amy.
Peter enjoyed a successful career as a petroleum reservoir engineer, working for Texaco, Kerr McGee and the Department of Energy and later British Gas at Thames Valley Park.
The family moved to Sherfield-on-Loddon in 1991, where Peter balanced his professional responsibilities with a strong commitment to his family.
Margot fondly remembered Peter as a witty and observant man with a dry sense of humour.
“He wasn’t as lively and social like me, but he was very good at washing up and helping clear things after visits by guests. He was an excellent raconteur,” she recalled.
Peter’s untimely death was a massive shock to the family.
Although he had the joy of witnessing the birth of two grandchildren, he sadly did not live to see his third grandchild.
“For the family, it was a massive shock when he died like that,” Margot said.
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The investigation's conclusion and the fine imposed on the Wilts and Berks Canal Trust has finally brought some measure of justice and closure to the Konitzer family.
But it took eight years for the trust to plead guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
The trust was fined £30,000 and ordered to pay £10,822 in costs at Swindon Magistrates’ Court on Monday, June 24.
A spokesperson for the Wilts & Berks Canal Trust said: “Peter Konitzer was a close friend of many in the Trust and was warmly valued as one of its volunteers. His tragic death in 2016 had a deep and lasting impact, and he remains in the minds of many of our volunteers on a daily basis. Once again, we wish to express our heartfelt condolences to his family and are deeply dismayed that this case has taken so long to be heard.
Since the accident, the Trust has completely overhauled and improved every aspect of its organisation, particularly with regard to health and safety measures, extensive work that was acknowledged by both the Judge and the HSE. It has done everything it possibly can to ensure that such a terrible accident never happens again. Nothing is more important to us than the continued safety of our volunteers.”
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