Publication date:
A company, Global Events and Attractions Ltd, and a 73-year-old man were sentenced today at Belfast Crown Court following an incident in which a funfair ride malfunctioned, injuring several people, in Carrickfergus, Co Antrim on 24 July 2021.
Global Events and Attractions Ltd pleaded guilty to the failure to, as far as reasonably practicable, ensure the health safety of its employees, by failing to provide and maintain a safe system of work. It also pleaded guilty to the same offence but in respect of non-employees.
Jeff Johnson, from Millisle, Co Down, who was employed by Global Events to carry out health and safety inspections of the equipment, pleaded guilty to, as a self-employed person, the failure to, as far as reasonably practicable, to ensure the health safety of others affected, by failing to provide and maintain a safe system of work.
The Scottish based company, which has since gone into administration, was fined £30,000 and Jeff Johnson was handed a 12-month prison sentence suspended for two years.
PPS Senior Public Prosecutor Graham Cardwell said: “Following an investigation into the circumstances of the accident by the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI), the health and safety failings were discovered, along with a lack of documentation to help employees in understanding how the machine should be operated and how to operate it safely.
“The incident took place when members of the public were attending Planet Fun in Carrickfergus, Co Antrim. Due to the offences committed by the two defendants, the adults and children were injured on the 53-metre-tall amusement ride and put in substantial danger.
“The PPS carefully considered all the available evidence submitted by HSENI and took decisions to prosecute the two defendants. Following the decision to prosecute, we were made aware that Global Events and Attractions Ltd had gone into administration in Scotland. However, due to the public importance in the case, PPS applied to the Sheriff’s Court in Scotland for permission to continue with prosecution.
“It is hoped the conclusion of this case will ensure others in this industry are deterred from putting the public at risk of injury or worse, by thorough and scrupulous adherence to health and safety law. My thoughts are with the people injured in what would have been a frightening ordeal.
“The PPS will continue to work with our enforcement partners to robustly prosecute alleged health and safety offences, where the Test for Prosecution is met.”