Workman Jailed After Faulty Gate Killed Grandmonther - FOW 24 NEWS

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Workman Jailed After Faulty Gate Killed Grandmonther

Workman who installed 40-stone iron security gate that fell and crushed grandmother, 56, to death in front of her granddaughter is jailed for three years for manslaughter by gross negligence...
A workman has been jailed for three and a half years for causing the 'wholly preventable' death of a grandmother who was crushed to death by a faulty gate he had installed.

Robert Churchyard failed to fit a stopping device on to the 40-stone iron gate in Blofield Heath, Norfolk, before it toppled on to Jill Lunn as she tried to move it.

She had tried to close the gate using a remote control but it did not work. She then pulled at it, causing it to fall from its tracks and land on top of her.

A jury found Churchyard guilty of manslaughter by gross negligence after he fitted the gate on behalf of Automated Garage Doors & Gates Ltd.

It took three people to lift the gate off Mrs Lunn, 56, following the incident on April 17, 2016.

She had been returning with her granddaughter to the home she shared with her daughter Jayne Shannon and son-in-law Christopher when the tragedy occurred.

Churchyard, 52, was previously convicted of a health and safety breach at an earlier trial.

Jailing him at Norwich Crown Court on Monday, Judge Stephen Holt told him: 'It is well known in the industry that there have been an number of fatalities involving gates and so it was highlighted that there was a necessity of safety.

'You do not need to be trained for it to be blindingly obvious that if you do not put a stop on the gate, it is going to be extremely dangerous.'

Describing the tragedy, the judge added: 'She has to resort to closing the gate manually - we saw her on the CCTV standing in the middle of the property pulling the gate shut, and that's when the tragedy happened and the 380kg gate fell onto her.

'The three year old in the car was clearly aware of the events but we don't know what she saw.

'Four generations of the family have been devastated. I would be failing in my public duty if I gave you anything other than a prison sentence.'

A post-mortem found Mrs Lunn died from 'crushing to the chest' and a heart attack.

Workman Jailed After Faulty Gate Killed Grandmonther Reviewed by FOW 24 News on October 31, 2017 Rating: 5 Workman who installed 40-stone iron security gate that fell and crushed grandmother, 56, to death in front of her granddaughter is jailed ...

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