Bouncy castle pair face jail over death

Two married fairground workers wept as a judge warned them that they face jail for the gross negligence manslaughter of a girl who died after a bouncy castle blew away with her inside it.

Seven-year-old Summer Grant died after a gust of wind lifted the inflatable from its moorings and sent it “cartwheeling” 300 metres down a hill at an Easter fair in Harlow, Essex, Chelmsford Crown Court heard.

William Thurston, 29, and Shelby Thurston, 26, sobbed and were comfortedbyfamilymembersafter they were found guilty of gross negligence manslaughter yesterday.

They had denied the offence but a jury convicted them by majority verdict after more than 11 hours of deliberations.

The pair, from Wilburton, Cambridgeshire, were also found guilty of a health and safety offence following the incident on 26 March, 2016.

There were gasps and sobs from their relatives as the verdicts were read out.

Summer’s mother, Cara Blackie, appeared tearful as she left the courtroom.

Speaking outside court, investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Danny Stoten said: “The Thurstons put profit before safety.

“They had huge weight on their shoulders and that was for the safety of children, other people’s loved ones.

“They put profit first, they’ve ignored the rules and the regulations, they didn’t conduct the checks they should have conducted and sadly Summer’s lost her life.”

He said that Summer’s family were “pleased and relieved” with the guilty verdicts