Fair duo ignored safety

Stacey Rowe was thrown 30 feet from the ride

A court has heard how two fairground operators from Devon did not carry out safety procedures before a 12-year-old Cornish girl was killed on a white-knuckle ride.

Stacey Rowe died after falling from the ride at a fair in Redruth in May 2000 after slipping under a safety bar.

Alison De Vey and Ian Kirby-Selves pleaded guilty at Plymouth Crown Court to charges under the Health and Safety Act.

They were given a two-year conditional discharge by the judge.

We want to send a clear message to all owners and operators of fairground rides Health and Safety Executive

Stacey Rowe was thrown 30 feet (9 metres) to the ground from the Topspin ride at the Anderson and Rowlands Whitsun Fair. She was at the fair as part of her birthday celebrations.

The court heard that a vital pin on the safety bar had slipped and that the ride's operator, Ian Kirby-Selves, 30, from Paignton, should have inspected the mountings of the safety bar, but he had not done so.

He admitted breaking health and safety laws, along with the owner of the ride, Alison De Vey, 37, from Exeter.

The court was told that manslaughter charges against both defendants were dropped last year due to lack of evidence.

Alison de Vey, bought the ride for £125,000 about eight weeks before the accident but had little knowledge of how it worked, the court was told.

'Suffered enough'

Judge William Taylor ruled both De Vey and Kirby-Selves had already suffered waiting three years for the case to come to court.

The jury heard the case had had a profound impact on the pair. Kirby-Selves had been so affected he said he would never work in the fairground industry again.

Before passing sentence, Judge Taylor told the court the pair were "devastated" by the child's death.

He said: "Both defendants were on trial for manslaughter and the death of that child weighed and will always weigh very heavily on their shoulders.

"In my judgment both defendants have suffered enough."

The Health and Safety Executive said: "In bringing this case, we want to send a clear message to all owners and operators of fairground rides and their staff that there is a need to have a clear system for properly and fully acting on safety-related complaints."