Weymouth hotel owner loses £200k fine appeal

A hotel owner has lost an appeal against a £200,000 fine after a serious accident at their Weymouth hotel. The incident involved a three-year-old girl who was injured by a falling slate during building work in June 2019. The fine was imposed after the girl suffered a skull fracture and was placed in an induced coma. The slate, weighing 1.5kg, fell two stories from the hotel's roof. The hotel owner, LFH Moonfleet Manor Limited, appealed the fine at the High Court but the judges confirmed that the amount was fair. In addition to the hotel's fine, the principal contractor and designer of the roof project were also fined £160,000 and £60,000, respectively. They were all present at meetings where safety concerns were discussed. There had been prior incidents where hotel staff had to direct guests to safer paths due to construction work. The hotel owner argued that the fine was too high compared to the hotel’s earnings, but the judges disagreed and dismissed the appeal.