South Essex: Dean's life is worth more

From the archive, first published Monday 15th Sep 2003.

Campaigners today condemned a "derisory" fine handed to the directors of a quarry which claimed the life of 15-year-old worker Dean Butler.

The Centre for Corporate Accountability said the £39,750 fine given to Clearserve and its directors Lewis Courtney and James Holland was "peanuts for killing a kid".

Spokesman Mick Holder added: "The level of fine at Crown Court is unlimited. This derisory amount is not going to act as a deterrent to other employers."

The Chelmsford Crown Court jury found Courtney and Holland not guilty of the manslaughter of the Vange teenager, but convicted them of failing to provide a safe workplace, training or employee supervision at the Rainbow quarry in Lynford, near Stanford-le-Hope.

Basildon Labour MP Angela Smith said the court's decision was a "deeply worrying" contradiction.

She added: "The bottom line is that the company's breaches of health and safety legislation were contributing factors to the young man's death. There has got to be serious questions asked about the guidance given by the judge."

Published Monday September 15, 2003

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