Father and son lose appeals against Sussex fireworks explosion manslaughter charges

Court of Appeal Credit: ITV Meridian

A father and son who were jailed 15 years ago following an explosion at a fireworks factory have lost challenges against their manslaughter convictions at the Court of Appeal.

Martin Winter and his son, Nathan, were found guilty of manslaughter by gross negligence in 2009 after two firemen died and 20 other people were injured in the blast at Marlie Farm in Shortgate, near Lewes, East Sussex, on December 3 2006.

Martin Winter, who ran a fireworks firm at the site, was handed a seven-year jail term while his son was sentenced to five years, later reduced to four, following a five-week trial.

The company was convicted of two health and safety breaches in connection with the blast and was fined £30,000.

Martin Winter and his son, Nathan, were found guilty of manslaughter by gross negligence in 2009 Credit: ITV Meridian

At a hearing in June, the men challenged their convictions at the Court of Appeal in London following a referral by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which reviews suspected miscarriages of justice.

But in a ruling on Tuesday (2 July), three judges dismissed the appeals.

Lord Justice William Davis, sitting with Mrs Justice McGowan and Mrs Justice Cockerill, said: “We conclude that this appeal is misconceived and must be dismissed."

“That conclusion remains whether one looks at the matter as the prosecution urged, from a standpoint of standing back and taking all the evidence in the round, or whether one pursues the particular points of analysis on which focus was placed by the appellants.”

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...