The owner of a UK beach inflatable will serve six months behind bars in connection with the death of a girl who died when one of his devices exploded, sending her flying 40 feet into the air.
Curt Johnson, 52, chief operating officer of Johnson Funfair Ltd., was sentenced on Friday after pleading guilty to two counts of violating health and safety laws, the BBC reported.
Johnson was implicated in the death of Ava-May Littleboy, 3, who was on one of Johnson’s inflatables in Gorleston-on-Sea on July 1, 2018 when it exploded, sending her “’higher than a house’” through the air and resulting in fatal head injuries, the outlet explained.
In 2020, an inquest jury determined that there was no procedure to manage the inflation of the trampoline, that it had also not been reviewed by a third party and had no instruction manual.
Ava-May Littleboy, 3, died on July 1, 2018.iTV News
District Judge Christopher Williams ruled this week that Johnson was “willfully blind to the risk” by failing to ensure the inflatable had safety controls, and that the trampoline “should not have been in use,” the Great Yarmouth Mercury explained.
“I reflect on the suffering and anguish the family has been through,” the judge said Friday.
“Ultimately, a child has lost their life due to failures on their part. “This is such a serious case that I must conclude that a deterrent sentence is necessary.”
The tragic incident caused the boy to fly “higher than a house,” witnesses said.9News
Johnson did not react when he was taken away, the BBC noted.
His lawyer, Oliver Campbell KC, said Johnson and his wife “deeply regret” the boy’s death.
“He sincerely apologizes to the court and the family for his mistakes,” he said, adding that Johnson Funfair “ceased trading some time ago and will not do so again.”
The little boy’s parents were present at the sentencing.9News
Johnson attempted to take his own life in 2018, suffered from depression and received threats related to the high-profile case, Campbell said.
Littleboy’s parents, Nathan Rowe and Chloe Littleboy, wiped tears from their eyes after the sentencing, the Great Yarmouth Mercury reported.
“It’s amazing as a parent that so many people care about your son,” Rowe told the outlet.
“It’s amazing how one little girl impacted so many lives. I read her eulogy about her and it was my only opportunity to pay tribute to her and her short life. “I don’t know any other parents who have had to do this.”
In addition to Johnson’s sentence, he was banned from being a director of the company for five years and Johnson Funfair was fined $24,432.50.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn