A SEMI-professional footballer who runs his own building firm got angry when told that a roofing job had to stop because two workers were at risk of falling.

Leonard Hamilton scrunched up a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prohibition notice forcing the work to stop and the two were back up on the roof with no scaffolding or protective equipment within 40 minutes.

The job in Talbot Street, Wrexham, continued for two days in the same unsafe way, a court heard.

Hamilton did not co-operate and when court papers were served on him at a football event he was seen to put them in a bin.

Appearing at Mold Crown Court Hamilton, 27, of Linfield Avenue in Buckley, admitted three health and safety charges including breaching working at heights regulations and failing to comply with the prohibition notice.

He received a 12 month prison sentence suspended for a year and was told to carry out 200 hours unpaid work.

He was also ordered to pay £4,000 towards the prosecution costs.

Judge Niclas Parry said Hamilton was quite clearly someone who took the view that he had the right to profit from the work of two decent, hard-working men while having a complete disregard for their safety.

It had to be clearly understood that the standard of health and safety expected from small companies must be as high as the standard expected from large companies, the judge said.

To be able to work in a safe working environment could not be a more basic or fundamental right of any worker.

They were working at a significant height and were totally unprotected on the roof.

Such was a HSE inspector's concern that he called the two workers down and they were told to stop work.

Hamilton was called to the site and was served with an immediate prohibition notice.

But he was aggressive and scrunched the notice up and within 40 minutes the two men were back on the roof working in the same conditions, continuing to work there for two days to complete the job,

Judge Parry said that half of all construction industry accidents involved falls from heights and it was therefore imperative to adhere to regulations.

"Straightforward scaffolding access would have sufficed but that would have cost you money.

"That is what all this was about – cost cutting.

"This was a flagrant disregard of the law," he said.

A fall from the roof of a two-storey building would either have caused death or serious injury where people would have to depend on third parties for the rest of their lives, Judge Parry said.

However, Hamilton had pleaded guilty in the magistrates' court, he would be treated as a man of good character, the reality was that no-one was hurt, he had taken advice over working at heights for the future and he had two young children aged five and two who depended upon him.

So bearing in mind the steps he had taken, the prison sentence could be suspended, he said.

Kate Harney, prosecuting for the HSE, said members of the public were so concerned that two men were on the roof without any safety equipment in April of last year that they contacted the HSE.

Two workers were on the roof of a two story semi-detached house with no scaffolding or any safety equipment whatsoever.

They were walking on the partly constructed roof in trainer shoes and they had no protective equipment.

She said when they were asked to come down, one told the inspector "he told us not to say anything".

When later asked for details he did not answer and the prosecution papers were personally served on him in January at a football event, Hamilton being a semi professional footballer.

He was seen to throw them in a bin and he did not attend the first hearing at the magistrates' court.

Barrister Desmond Lennon, defending, said his client was remorseful and appreciated he was on the cusp of imprisonment.

That would be disastrous for him because he would lose everything.

Mr Lennon said Hamilton had a successful career as a semi-professional footballer and also ran a property renovation company.

He said the roofing job at Wrexham was the first one where men were working at heights and he had taken on two experienced men and relied upon them.

But he accepted that he was responsible for their safety and that he failed abysmally and exposed them to potential risk of injury.

He was thoroughly ashamed of his behaviour towards the inspector but panicked when they wanted to stop the job because there was a risk of rain and he feared internal parts of the house would be damaged.

Mr Lennon said Hamilton was properly insured, he had since taken on a health and safety consultant and other roofing jobs had all been completed within the regulations.

"He will lose everything if he goes to prison," Mr Lennon said.

But if the sentence was suspended he could continue with the business, continue as a footballer and he could continue to support his young family.

If given a chance he would never be back before a court again, the barrister said.