Not guilty for managers on health and safety charges
TWO managers who worked at Bosley Mill during the tragic explosion that killed four people have been cleared of health and safety offences.
The blast at the wood mill in Bosley on July 17, 2015 killed maintenance fitter William Barks, aged 51, of Dalehouse Road, Cheddleton; cleaner Dorothy Bailey, aged 62, from Bosley; mill worker Derek Moore, aged 62, of Colclough Lane, Goldenhill; and chargehand Jason Shingler, aged 38, of Sycamore Avenue, Congleton, whose body was never recovered.
Mill manager Peter Shingler, aged 56, of Tunstall Road, Bosley, and operations manager Philip Smith, aged 58, of Raglan Road, Macclesfield, had each been charged with a health and safety offence.
But following a 12-week trial the jury was ordered to enter not guilty verdicts against the two men.
It came after the same jury acquitted mill owner George Boden and Wood Treatment Ltd of manslaughter charges on Thursday.
Tony Badenoch QC, prosecuting, said yesterday: “Following the events of yesterday and adjournment overnight, the position has now been reached that the prosecution will not continue to seek guilty verdicts in the case of Mr Smith and Mr Shingler.”
After being found not guilty of four counts of gross negligence manslaughter, Boden pleaded guilty to a health and safety offence. Wood Treatment Ltd had admitted a health and safety offence before going on trial charged with corporate manslaughter.
Judge Mrs Justice May said: “Members of the jury, it’s been a long trial and we are very grateful to you for your attendance and attention throughout it.”
She said they could be released from jury service for 10 years.
The manslaughter charges were dropped following an application to dismiss on behalf of the defendants at the end of the prosecution case.
In her judgement, later confirmed by the Court of Appeal, Mrs Justice May ruled there was not enough evidence to prove that gross negligence caused the explosion.
During the trial, which began in early February, the court heard the damage caused to the mill had made it impossible for investigators to determine the cause of the blast.
The prosecution said it involved an explosion of wood dust allegedly caused by negligence on the part of the company and management, who they claimed knew dust levels were excessively high.
The jury heard evidence that employees had raised concerns about safety at the mill in the years leading up to the explosion and reported ‘mounds’ of wood dust piling up. Sentencing of Boden and Wood Treatment Ltd will be on June 18.