Mother 'let down by justice'

Stacey Rowe was thrown 30 feet from the ride

The parents of a Cornish girl who died after being thrown from a fairground ride, claim they have been failed by justice.

Stacey Rowe, 12, died after falling from the ride at a fair in Redruth in May 2000 after slipping under a safety bar.

The owner and the operator, both from Devon, were given two-year conditional discharges for breaches of health and safety legislation.

Stacey's mother, Helen Rowe, says the judge was too lenient.

Nobody's been made responsible for what's happened to her Helen Rowe

Stacey Rowe was thrown 30 feet (9 metres) to the ground from the Topspin ride at the Anderton and Rowlands Whitsun Fair. She died of multiple injuries.

Plymouth Crown Court heard that a vital pin on the safety bar had slipped.

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.

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

He said: "The death of that child weighed and will always weigh very heavily on their shoulders.

"In my judgment, both defendants have suffered enough."

Nobody responsible

However, Stacey's mother, Helen Rowe, says she is sorry not to have won justice for her daughter.

She said: "The family's been let down by British justice really.

"Basically, nobody's been made responsible for what's happened to her and we do feel let down by it."

Mrs Rowe said she and her husband, Rob, will not be taking further action over Stacey's death, but also said the family is still trying to come to terms with the tragedy.

She said: "She was my child and my husband's child. We feel she should have been round for a long, long time and not just for 12 years."