The co-owners of a food waste recycling company have been jailed after two men died in a tanker of toxic pig feed. The men's families say they are still living with "unbearable" pain following their "cruel" deaths and that they "would still be here" had it not been for the gross negligence of their employers.
Nathan Walker, 19, who became a dad just days after his death, and Gavin Rawson, 35, got into difficulties after being told to clear out the tanker at Greenfeeds Ltd in Leicestershire and could not be rescued by their co-workers or the emergency services in time to save their lives.
The firm's manager, Gillian Leivers, 60, was yesterday jailed for 13 years for gross negligence manslaughter and breaking health and safety rules.
READ MORE:
A judge said she had shown a “blatant disregard for a high risk of death” while in charge of staff. Her husband Ian Leivers, 59, who was a director at the firm, was also sentenced to 20 months in prison.
Stewart Brown, 69, the firm’s transport manager, has been given a one year suspended sentence for breaking health and safety rules.
Investigators who carried out a probe into the double tragedy, which happened three days before Christmas in 2016, found a catalogue of health and safety breaches at Greenfeeds following the deaths, reports Leicestershire Live. The three bosses were also found to to have ignored previous concerns about safety relating to the toxic tanks.
The company is now in liquidation but was convicted of corporate manslaughter charges last week, following a six-week trial. They were handed a fine of £2m at the sentencing at Leicester Crown Court on Thursday.
Following the hearing, Nathan Walker's father Adrian said on the court steps: "Nathan was only 19 years of age when his life ended through no fault of his own. Nathan was expecting his first child with his partner when he died.
"His son was born 15 days after his death. He should have been here to see his son born. He should be here with his son now.
"Nathan’s death was cruel and there was no sense in it. The shock, horror and grief of hearing that our son had been killed will stay with us for the rest of our lives. The pain we feel in our hearts is still completely unbearable. Life will never be the same for us.”
Gavin Rawson's father Gareth, said: "No one should have to hear about their son’s death like we did. If only Health and Safety guidance had been followed, Gavin would still be here.
"We just want him back in our lives but know we can’t have him. We just wish we could hold him, hug him and tell him he is our hero. It is completely devastating to our entire family that we will never be able to do this."
Nathan climbed into the tanker after being told to clear it out at the food waste recycling company premises the court. After he got into difficulties Gavin climbed in to try to save him, but also started to struggle and their colleagues could not follow to help. Emergency services were called and cut a hole in the tanker, but it was too late to save their lives.
The forensic pathologist who examined Nathan and Gavin said they had been overcome by toxic fumes and/or a lack of oxygen which had caused them to lose consciousness and fall into the animal feed.
Gillian Leivers of Fosse Road, Newark, was also banned from being the director of a company for 15 years as well as her jail sentence.
Her husband Ian, of the same address, was disqualified from being a company director for 10 years as well as his jail term for breaking health and safety rules. Brown was found guilty of failing to take reasonable care of his employees.
Detective Constable Kirsty Iqbal said the men had their ‘whole lives ahead of them’. She added: “Both men went to work on the day of 22 December 2016 at Greenfeeds Ltd where they should have been looked after and their safety should have been paramount.”
“Mr Walker and Mr Rawson had their futures taken away from them simply because the firm did not have the correct safety procedures and equipment in place. Their deaths should never have been allowed to happen.”
READ NEXT:
