A excavating company in charge of a Burnaby work site where a pipelayer was killed when a retaining wall collapsed has been found guilty of criminal negligence.

Three seniors officers of J. Cote and Son Excavating of Langley, including owner James (Jamie) Cote and job foreman David John Green, were collectively found guilty on Thursday in B.C. Supreme Court in the death of pipelayer Jeff Caron, 25, and the injuring of pipelayer Thomas Richer.

But Green, who was also charged individually with manslaughter, was found not guilty of that charge and of a separate criminal negligence charge, Justice Michael Brundrett said in a judgment that took three hours to read.

Caron was killed when he was pinned by collapsed wall. Richer, who was also in the trench but further from the wall, was injured

See Full Page