A WORK colleague who was with Gogglebox star George Gilbey when he fell to his death in a warehouse has been arrested for manslaughter.
The suspect, in his 40s, was held by police in a joint investigation with health and safety officials.
It came as friends said George scaled the roof at the Essex warehouse without a harness.
As workmates pleaded with him to come down, he tumbled 80ft through a skylight and landed on the concrete below.
A pal said: “George had not been in a good way and maybe should not have been working at all. He was up on the roof and the others were shouting at him to get down and to be careful.
“He was shouting back that he was all right, even though he was not very steady on his feet.
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“Then, he apparently came through a skylight so fell from the outside of the roof about 80ft on to concrete inside. Poor George did not stand a chance and it is a terrible way to go.”
Trying to get back on track
George, a Celebrity Big Brother finalist in 2014, died on Wednesday at the EGL Homecare site in Shoebury, Essex.
His death, revealed in The Sun, left, came three years after that of his stepdad Peter McGarry, who starred with him and mum Linda McGarry, 74, on Gogglebox.
Yesterday, it also emerged that George, from Clacton, was due in court next month for allegedly assaulting an ex.
He has a previous domestic violence conviction for attacking another ex, Gemma Conway, the mother of his daughter Amelie, now seven, and was jailed for drink-driving in 2019.
He was up on the roof and the others were shouting at him to get down and to be careful
A pal
Yesterday, pals said that George, who struggled with the ups and downs of fame, had been drinking heavily in recent months but had joined a gym and was trying to get his life back on track.
His friend said: “George was a lovely boy — but was like a leaf in the wind. He had spiralled a bit out of control.”
A barmaid at one of his regular haunts added: “George liked a drink and was the life and soul of the party. Everyone knew George. We’re all completely heartbroken.”
Meanwhile, Essex Police are investigating his death alongside the Health and Safety Executive.
The force said: “We have arrested a man in his 40s from the Witham area on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter. Our enquiries are ongoing.”
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
