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Cases
involving Convictions of companies, directors and
business owners before 2000
| Name
of Deceased |
Date
of Deaths |
Conviction
Date |
Convicted
Defendants |
Status |
Sentence |
| Peter
Morgan and Barry Davies |
Oct
1997 |
Oct
1999 |
Stephen
Bowles |
Director |
15
months (suspended) |
| Julie
Bowles |
Director |
1
year
(suspended) |
| James
Hodgson |
May
1994 |
Sept
1996 |
Jackson
Transport (Ossett) Ltd |
Company
|
£15,000 |
| Alan
Jackson |
Director |
12
Months imprisonment |
| Simon
Dean and three others |
Mar
1993 |
Nov
1994 |
OLL
Ltd |
Company
|
£60,000 |
| Peter
Kite |
Director |
3
Years imprisonment |
| George
Kenyon |
May
1988 |
Dec
1989 |
Norman
Holt |
Director |
Suspended
sentence |
Deaths
of Peter Morgan and Barry Davies in October 1997
In October 1999, Stephen Bowles (45) and his sister
Julie Bowles (41), both Directors of Roy Bowles Transport
LTD were convicted of the manslaughter of Peter Morgan
(48) and Barry Davies (38) who died in October 1997
in a seven vehicle pile up on the M25 after a lorry
driver, working for the company, fell asleep at the
wheel. The Old Bailey heard that Mr Cox, the lorry
driver, and other drivers at the firm worked very
long hours with the knowledge of the directors. Stephen
Bowles and Julie Bowles were sentenced to 15 months
and 12 months imprisonment respectively, but both
sentences were suspended for two years. Victor Gilliard,
a company Secretary, was acquitted of manslaughter.
Andrew Cox, the driver of the lorry, received a two
and a half year prison sentence for the offence of
death by dangerous driving.
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Death
of James Hodgson in May 1994
In September 1996, Jackson Transport (Ossett) Ltd
and its managing Director, Alan Jackson were convicted
of the manslaughter of James Hodgson who died in
May 1994 after cleaning chemical residues at the rear
of a road tanker. Bradford Crown Court heard that
James Hodgson died when he used steam pressure to
clean a valve in a tanker blocked with highly toxic
chemicals. The company had not provided preventative
equipment, supervision, or adequate training. Alan
Jackson, the sole director of the company at the time
of the death, was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment
and the company was fined £15,000.
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Death
of Simon Dean and three others in March 1993
In November 1994, OLL Ltd and its managing director
Peter Kite was convicted of the manslaughter of four
students of Southway Comprehensive School in Plymouth
– Simon Deane (16), Clair Langley (16), Rachel
Walker (16) and Dean Sawyer (17) - who died during
a canoeing trip in Lyme Regis, Dorset in March 1993.
Winchester Crown Court heard that the group was accompanied
by a school teacher and two unqualified instructors
who only had basic proficiency skills in canoeing.
The group was swept out to sea, and capsized frequently.
The Centre had not provided any distress flares and
had not informed the coastguard of the expedition.
The prosecution highlighted the resignation of two
instructors from the Centre a year earlier in protest
at poor safety conditions. Mr Kite was sentenced to
three years imprisonment (reduced to two on appeal)
and the company was fined £60,000. The Centre’s
manager Joseph Stoddart was acquitted of manslaughter.
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Death
of George Kenyon in May 1988
In December 1989, Norman Holt, Director of David Holt
Plastics, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of one
of the company’s employees, 25 year old George
Kenyon, who died in May 1988 when his body was dragged
into the blades of a plastic crumbing machine. The
Crown Prosecution Service accepted a ‘not-guilty
plea’ from fellow Director, David Holt, with
the judge ordering that the case ‘remain on file’.
No company was prosecuted for manslaughter. The company
and both directors were fined a total of £47,000
for health and safety offences.
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