Weston's Cider fined £1.4m for barrier crash death

Thomas Manns died on his 65th birthday when a security barrier smashed through the windscreen of his van at Weston's Cider

A cider maker has been fined £1.4m after one of its workers was killed when his van hit a security barrier.

Thomas Manns was on a day off, but took the Weston's Cider van for an MOT on 28 September 2020, the court heard.

The barrier was partially open and a judge at Kidderminster Magistrates' Court likened it to a medieval lance as it speared Mr Manns's windscreen.

Weston's Cider pleaded guilty on Thursday to two breaches of health and safety law.

His widow, Rosemary, said he died on his 65th birthday and "didn't even get to open his birthday cards or gifts".

"He was very loving and thoughtful, always happy, smiling, he enjoyed his work and had a lot of time for young people, if he could help them, he would," she told the BBC.

"[The crash] was horrendous, I'll never forget it. It was an accident that should have been avoided, it should never have happened."

Rosemary Manns said she would never forget the crash

Both Thomas and Rosemary Manns worked for Weston's, along with other members of their family, and his widow said the job "meant everything to him".

Mrs Manns said she was called on the day by the firm and when she arrived she saw all the emergency services at the scene.

"I could see Tom was just slumped over the steering wheel and obviously he'd gone then," she said.

The security barrier had been installed a month before, but the prosecution told the court that staff were not trained in how to use it safely which was a "fundamental failure" of the firm.

"The level of activity around the site made it difficult to see the gate. There was no instruction for employees or how to use it - there was no risk assessment," prosecutor Robin Harvard said.

The barrier, here pictured after investigators moved in, had been left in a partially open position

Mrs Manns described her husband as a "wonderful" stepfather to her children and grandchildren.

"One thing that is so sad is I now have a new grandson and he will never see him," she added.

"It's just left us so numb, so cold, there's no words really to explain how we all feel.

"The Westons, apart from two of the family, have never been down yet to say sorry. No phone call, absolutely nothing whatsoever."

District Judge Ian Strongman said the barrier was "an accident waiting to happen", adding the failures of the company "beggars belief".

"It was sticking out at a 45-degree angle, give or take, about a metre off the ground - it would be difficult for any driver to see it," he said.

"You don't have to need to be a health and safety expert to figure that out."

Following the sentence, the firm, which was also told to pay costs of more than £26,700, said it had worked closely with the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) to ensure "nothing like this can happen again".

"Tommy was a much valued colleague and our thoughts remain with his family," a statement read.