A carpenter is suing his former employer after he fell 18 feet on a job site and ended up a paraplegic.

Rennard Russell, 63, from Shelton Road, Cavendish Heights, Devonshire was working for Headley Louie Stephenson trading as Stephenson Construction at the Flying Chef restaurant on North Street, Hamilton in June 1992.

The plaintiff's lawyers say it became common practice for the boss Headley Stephenson and his workers to traverse a space of about four feet between the Flying Chef and Mr. Russell's former apartment next door to fetch drinking water and use the bathroom.

But on June 24 Mr. Russell slipped from the pipe he was balancing on and fell more than 18 feet to the ground. He is now a paraplegic.

In Supreme Court yesterday Mr. Stephenson, of Knapton Estate, Smith's, said he had been away from the site and returned when someone called him to alert him about the accident.

He said: "I went to the Flying Chef front entrance and climbed over the wall.

I was talking with him to comfort him. He was in pain.

"But not hard strike pain where he was unconscious.

"He was asking me if I could lift him. I said no I can't do that because what I have learned is that if someone has an accident and you interfere you can make it worse.

"He told me he climbed over and put his foot on the pipe because it was a rainy day. He said he put his foot on the pipe and he slipped and fell down.'' Mr. Stephenson said "something had clicked'' in Mr. Russell's head to make him decide to take the risky short cut.

He said Mr. Russell was wearing one slipper when he found him.

Mr. Russell's lawyers say that Mr. Stephenson knew his workers was taking this risk, but he never discouraged them or did anything to make the access safe so therefore he is liable.

They are suing for personal injuries as a result of negligence and breach of statutory duty. The case continues today.