Cardiff: Gething donor firm fined for Anthony Bilton death

Jason Bilton says his life has been "torn to shreds" since his dad's death

A subsidiary firm of a group that gave £200,000 to Vaughan Gething's Welsh Labour leadership campaign has been fined for one of its worker's death.

Anthony Bilton, 59, was run over by a shovel loader on Atlantic Recycling Limited's site in Cardiff in 2019.

Atlantic Recycling Limited pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety at work and was fined £300,000.

Mr Gething said his thoughts "remain with the family after this profound personal tragedy".

Meanwhile, Andrew RT Davies, Senedd leader of the Welsh Conservatives, has written to First Minister Mark Drakeford criticising the "damage to public trust" the donation to Mr Gething has caused.

'Apologise unreservedly'

Mr Bilton, from Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, was about to carry out routine maintenance tasks when he was run over from behind by a Volvo shovel loader in September 2019.

The father-of-two was walking across the wood processing yard at the time at the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that the risk assessment was not suitable nor sufficient and did not include work taking place in the area.

Atlantic Recycling Limited, of Newton Road, Rumney, Cardiff, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

The company was fined £300,000 and ordered to pay £29,917.47 in costs at Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates' Court.

After the case, Atlantic Recycling released a statement saying it "apologises unreservedly to the family and friends of Mr Bilton, for this tragic incident and the loss they continue to live with every day".

"We appreciate there is no mitigation or size of fine that will ever make up for the loss that they have suffered," it said.

Vaughan Gething is one of the two candidates in the Welsh Labour leadership race

In Mr Davies's letter to Mr Drakeford, his second in a week, he raised issues with Mr Gething accepting the £200,000 donation from Dauson Environmental Group, the parent company of Atlantic Recycling.

David Neal, a director with significant control in Dauson Environmental Group, holds the same position at Atlantic Recycling and Atlantic Ecopark Limited - which is hoping to build a solar farm on the Gwent Levels.

The Tory Senedd group leader asked the first minister to "outline the steps he has taken to protect the integrity of the planning system" following the "damage to public trust" caused by Dauson's donation to Mr Gething.

He also asked Mr Drakeford to "provide assurances that [Mr Gething] will have no influence over any Welsh government decision in relation to the proposed development".

Mr Gething, the economy minister, has previously pointed out that because the proposed development would be in his own constituency of Cardiff South and Penarth, he would not be able to approve the plans.

All donations were declared to the Electoral Commission, whose records show the economy minister accepted two donations of £100,000 each.

The first minister, who Mr Gething hopes to succeed, decided he did not break the ministerial code as it did not govern donations to Members of the Senedd.

Anthony's son, Jason, said his life was "torn to shreds" after his father was killed.

On the day of the incident, Jason was travelling from Telford and thought about visiting his dad while he was at work, but decided against it as he was exhausted from travelling.

"Had I gone to see him, I would've arrived at Atlantic Recycling between 3:30-4pm, he was killed around 4:10pm.

"Every day I deal with thoughts that 'if only I'd stopped to see him, he could still be alive today.'

"There will never be real closure for my dad's death as it should never have happened, not the way it did."

Mr Gething gave his condolences to Mr Bilton's family, friends and colleagues, adding: "This fatal incident demonstrates the importance of having the highest standards of health and safety for everyone in their place of work. This matter has rightly been dealt with by the courts.

"This is, of course, of particularly deep concern to me given my lifelong support and advocacy for workers' rights."