TORONTO — A Crown prosecutor is recommending up to five years in prison for a project manager who oversaw a Toronto construction crew involved in a deadly scaffolding collapse in 2009.
Vadim Kazenelson was found guilty in June on four counts of criminal negligence causing death and one count of criminal negligence causing bodily harm.
Crown lawyer Rochelle Direnfeld says Kazenelson was in a position of trust and had a legal duty to take reasonable steps to prevent harm to those he was directing but failed to do so.
She says Kazenelson knew members of the crew involved in the collapse were not properly secured to safety lifelines but allowed them to continue working.
The trial heard that Kazenelson managed to hold onto a 13th-floor balcony when a swing stage split in two on Christmas Eve 2009, sending five workers plummeting to the ground.
Four died and one suffered horrendous injuries, while another worker — the only one properly secured to a safety lifeline — was left suspended in mid-air.
That worker testified that Kazenelson didn't insist crew members be attached to lifelines and said Kazenelson asked him to lie about the incident afterward.
