Nottinghamshire wood cutting company fined after owner's son killed in on site accident

• Peter Bearne reports from Nottingham Crown Court

A wood-cutting company in Nottinghamshire has been fined £22,500 after the owner's son was killed in an accident on site.

Tom Brooke, 31, who was a director of the family business, died when he was struck by a load-lifting vehicle in 2019.

John Brooke Sawmill was prosecuted under health and safety laws.

The company previously pleaded guilty to a charge under the Health and Safety Act and was also ordered to pay £44,227.25 costs.

Nottingham Crown Court heard Health and Safety Executive investigators found “unsafe practices” when they visited the site in Widmerpool after the father-of-one died.

Judge Stuart Rafferty KC said:

“There were no designated walkways, vehicles were criss-crossing it on a regular basis and what happened was quite clearly a significant risk because every time that vehicle was filled and moving forward the driver, however experienced he was, could not see ahead of him and there was a blind spot at the front of the vehicle.”

Jessica Brooke, Mr Brooke’s widow said: "He was a really great father, a great husband.

"Him and Rupert were incredibly close. He was just wonderful to be about, he was a family man who worked hard.

"I don't think any sentence would ever compensate for Tom's death and Tom not being here. I think it's more about closure and accountability today for me. The fine is almost immaterial."

David James, mitigating, said: “Following the HSE’s site visit in 2019, as soon as these issues were recognised, the company rectified them. They properly instructed a health and safety expert to ensure safety on site. It lost £100,000 a month income since a biomass plant cancelled its contract.

“This site is entirely different now to how it was in 2019 and that is entirely down to Emma Brooke, who is a director of the company and the sister of Tom Brooke. There are speed bumps, additional signs, two-way radio and any movement on site is monitored."

Tom's sister Emma paid tribute to him outside court saying: "It was just horrendous, I was there and I witnessed it at the time, it's a living nightmare.

"Hopefully today is the end of one bit of it and we can put Tom to rest; he was a brilliant brother and a brilliant father and we miss him every day".

The Health and Safety Executive said "This has been a very difficult case for all concerned. However, those in control of work have a responsibility to implement safe methods of working. Had simple measures been taken, this tragedy could have been prevented."

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