Essex Police have concluded their criminal inquiry into the workplace death of former Gogglebox personality George Gilbey, confirming that two men detained in connection with the incident will not be prosecuted.
The men, currently 37 and 49 years old and both residents of Witham, had been held on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter following the fatal accident in March 2024.
Police confirmed on Wednesday that both individuals have been released without charge and will not face any further police action.
The 40-year-old television personality died after falling through a skylight whilst working as a self-employed electrician at an industrial location in Shoeburyness, Essex.
George Gilbey had been a Gogglebox favourite
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Whilst the police investigation has closed, authorities confirmed that a criminal inquiry by the Health and Safety Executive continues.
The fatal incident occurred on March 27, 2024 at an industrial site on Campfield Road in Shoeburyness, near Southend-on-Sea.
Mr Gilbey had been conducting maintenance work on a warehouse roof when he plummeted through a plastic skylight, falling 80 feet to the ground below.
Emergency services, including an air ambulance, responded to the scene but the electrician was pronounced dead at the location.
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A coroner’s officer told an inquest hearing in April that Mr Gilbey sustained traumatic injuries to his head and torso that were “consistent with a fall from height”.
The qualified roofer had returned to work just three days before the accident, according to his mother, who said he had been attempting to “rebuild his life” at the time of his death.
The Health and Safety Executive has assumed responsibility for the ongoing criminal investigation into potential breaches of workplace safety regulations.
HSE inspector Natalie Prince stated: “We have been a part of this inquiry from the outset, and we will continue to thoroughly investigate George’s tragic death as the lead agency.”
She confirmed the investigation would “aim to establish if there have been any breaches of health and safety law” and that the HSE maintains “regular contact with George’s family and our thoughts remain with them at this time.”
The HSE possesses statutory powers to prosecute both employers and individuals for violations of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
An Essex Police spokesperson said: “The thoughts of everyone at Essex Police remain with George’s family and friends.”
Linda McGarry, Mr Gilbey’s mother, described her son as “like my best friend” who possessed “the best heart in the world”.
Gogglebox George Gilbey found fame on the Channel 4 series
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“He was generous, funny and kind, with bundles of charm and buckets of personality,” she told the Clacton Gazette, adding that “he did more in his 40 years than people do in 90 – he’s even had dinner with the Prince of Dubai.”
McGarry revealed her son had struggled following the 2021 death of his stepfather Pete McGarry, who appeared alongside them on Gogglebox.
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“He was crazy, but after coming out of showbiz, he couldn’t get his life back together. He just couldn’t get over the death of Pete,” she said.
The family featured on Gogglebox from 2013 to 2018, with Mr Gilbey also reaching the Celebrity Big Brother final in 2014.
