Coroner issues cabin probe after fire death

A coroner wants politicians to find out if seasonal farmworkers in Jersey are still living in portable cabins after a Filipino worker died following a blaze.

George Michael Monte De Ramos Castrudes, 37, died from carbon monoxide poisoning in January 2025 after starting a fire in his accommodation on a farm in Grouville.

The inquest into his death concluded he made the "impulsive decision" to start this fire because the portable cabin he lived in was cold and difficult to heat, made worse by his worries about money.

It also found the lack of a working smoke alarm in the cabin "meant the opportunity to rescue George from the cabin before he was fatally injured was lost".

At the conclusion of the inquest, coroner Deputy Viscount Advocate Matt Berry said he would write to the ministers for home affairs and environment as well as Jersey Farmers' Union (JFU) to understand whether portable cabins were still being used as accommodation for farmworkers during winter months and whether they met the requirements of Jersey housing law.

He said it was a recommendation to prevent future deaths in the island.

Castrudes was working in Jersey for his fourth season at La Valette Nurseries when he died. He was employed on a nine-month temporary contract by the Blake family.

In his findings, Berry said Castrudes was living in a "state of relative poverty" when he died and was "struggling to make his financial commitments".

He said that contributed to his death because it compounded the challenges of heating his cabin, with Castrudes likely worried about affording his electricity bill.

"George was more likely to take desperate measures to sustain himself," he said.

However, Berry said his money struggles could not be traced back to the owners of La Valette farm who paid him regularly.

He said the "substantial reason" he was under such pressure was that he was sending a high proportion of his wages home to the Philippines.

The inquest heard Castrudes sent 75% of his net wages home in 2024, about £11,000 of his £15,000 earnings, a higher proportion than his co-worker and roommate.

The coroner concluded that Castrudes' immigration status did not contribute to his death.

Berry said he was legally employed in Jersey by La Valette Nurseries and was not living in circumstances that accounted to modern day slavery.

He added that he was satisfied there were routes Castrudes' could have used to complain about his living situation.

He said he could have complained to environmental heath, to the Jersey Customs and Immigration Service or to the Philippines-based recruitment agency that helped hire him but it did not appear that he did so.

The directors of La Valette Nurseries - Nigel, David and Paul Blake - refused to speak to the BBC after the inquest.

However, at the beginning of Friday's hearing their lawyer Advocate George Pearce read a statement of condolence on their behalf.

It said Castrudes was a "valued member of the team" who had worked with the farm for a number of seasons.

He said his death was a "loss felt deeply" and the directors "hoped proceedings have provided clarity and answers for those affected by George's death".

During the proceedings, Nigel Blake told the inquest La Valette Nurseries was closing down for good this week.

In a statement, the infrastructure and environment department expressed "profound sympathy to the family and loved ones of George Castrudes following his tragic loss".

It said regulation officials would "always support tenants and landlords across the island to ensure that all rental accommodation meets the standards designed to protect health, safety, and wellbeing".

"We are fully responsive to any concerns raised with us and continue to act on all complaints received regarding rental accommodation standards," it said.

Jersey Customs and Immigration Service said: "We would like to reiterate that if any of our migrant community have any concerns in respect of their immigration conditions then we ask them to come and speak to us directly.

"We investigate all concerns raised with us, to ensure that everyone is being treated with dignity and respect, and that the strict criteria laid out in the Work Permit Policy is being adhered to."

The JFU welcomed an audit of farmworker accommodation.

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