Fairground inspector jailed over deaths

The ride was closed after the accident

A fairground inspector who failed to spot defects in a fairground ride which flew apart, killing two friends, has been jailed for 18 months for manslaughter.

Self employed Barry Ramsey, 52, of Swan Lane, Wickford, Essex, should have spotted the "disastrous defects" to the rusty Supertrooper ride, the Old Bailey heard.

Three friends were on the 18-year-old ride when one of its cars flew off at the annual bank holiday funfair in Shepherd's Bush Green, west London, in May 2000.

Australian backpacker Narelle Cozens, 28, and her friend Michael Lawrence, 24, were killed in the accident and David Johnston, 24, from Nottingham, was seriously injured.

Barry Ramsey's conviction for manslaughter serves as a wake-up call to the fairground industry.

Det Supt Barry Pandolfi

Ramsey denied the charges but was found guilty by an Old Bailey jury on Tuesday.

He was also found guilty of two Health and Safety breaches.

The Recorder of London, Judge Michael Hyam, told Ramsey: "Your failure to see the defects which were staring you in the face was the result of the failure to do a job properly."

Earlier the jury cleared the ride owner Darren Jones, 34, of Prae Road, Chertsey, Surrey, of a health and safety offence.

The court had been told the ride was a danger because of rust and metal fatigue.

A subsequent inspection showed signs of deterioration to the remaining 11 car seats.

'Shoddy workmanship'

The only other Supertrooper ride in Britain, given a certificate by Ramsey three days earlier, was also found to be defective.

Outside the court, Detective Superintendent Ken Pandolfi said: "Barry Ramsey's conviction for manslaughter serves as a wake-up call to the fairground industry.

Ramsey had breached safety rules before

"The requirement for 'thorough examination' means just that - there is no place for cursory inspections and shoddy workmanship.

"Those within the industry who fail to operate to the highest standards can expect their actions to be scrutinised and may be criminally liable if they are found wanting."

The jury had made recommendations for tightening the supervision and maintenance of fairground rides.

Judge Hyam said he hoped the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) would take these into account when considering fairground safety.

Safety review

The court was told that Ramsey, who ran his own company inspecting fairground rides, had previous convictions for breaching health and safety regulations.

He was fined when a children's ride derailed at Barry in south Wales in 1999 and was given a conditional discharge when two people were seriously injured at Leatherhead, Surrey, in 2000.

Outside the court, the father of Narelle Cozens, John, said: "No matter what Ramsey got, our kids got life."

A spokeswoman for the HSE said they would look at all the recommendations and they were reviewing fairground safety following the accident.