Simon Jackson KC prosecuted a Corporate Manslaughter case before the Crown Court in Manchester for CPS Special Casework Unit at York, together with the HSE. At the conclusion of the Crown's case Lion Steel Equipment Limited pleaded guilty to the Corporate Manslaughter of one of its employees, which means it will be only the third company in the UK to be convicted under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act since it came into force in April 2008. The Company was fined £480,000 and ordered to pay a proportion of the Crown's costs.
The defendant company, was charged over the death of Steven Berry at its site in Hyde, Cheshire, admitted the offence on Tuesday 3rd July part way through a trial at Manchester Crown Court.
A further charge against Lion Steel of failing to ensure the safety of employees, as required under Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work Act, will lie on file. Gross negligence charges against individual directors were either dismissed or withdrawn.
Berry died from his injuries after an accident on 28 May 2008, when he fell through a fragile roof panel on the defendant company's roof.