Haverfordwest: Ex-paddleboard firm owner admits manslaughter
A former police officer and ex-paddleboard tour company owner has admitted to gross negligence manslaughter after the deaths of four people.Paul O'Dwyer, Andrea Powell, Morgan Rogers and Nicola Wheatley died following an incident in the River Cleddau, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, in October 2021.Nerys Bethan Lloyd, 39, from Port Talbot, is the former owner of Salty Dog, the company operating the tour that the four, and four others who survived, were taking.The company has since been dissolved.At Swansea Crown Court on Wednesday, she also pleaded guilty to one offence under the Health and Safety at Work Act.
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ITV News
3 days ago
- ITV News
The Langton Arms pub where wife died after falling down cellar handed £240k fine
The owners of a pub where a customer died after falling through an unlocked cellar door has been ordered to pay a fine and costs totalling more than £285,000. Julie Hyatt, 57, was having lunch with her husband, Paul, and friends at The Langton Arms at Church Langton, near Market Harborough, in Leicestershire, in May 2023. She hadn't been drinking and was following signs to the toilet, when she opened an unmarked and unlocked door, not knowing it was to the pub's cellar, and fell down a steep flight of stairs. Mrs Hyatt suffered serious injuries from which she died in hospital 12 days later. At Leicester Magistrates' Court, the RedCat Pub Company, based in London, admitted breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act by exposing persons not in its employment to a risk to their health and safety. At the hearing, held on the second anniversary of Mrs Hyatt's funeral, the company was fined £240,000 and ordered to pay costs of £43,633.06p along with a £2,000 surcharge. In determining the level of fine and costs, District Judge Nick Watson said he had taken into account that RedCat's parent company had a turnover of more than £120million. He said he wanted to "bring it home to shareholders and management that they must take health and safety seriously". He added "Any sentence that I impose could not equate to the loss of Mrs Hyatt to her family and friends." In statements read to the court, it was revealed Mrs Hyatt and her husband had been looking forward to retirement and moving to the Norfolk coast. Married since 1987, they shared many interests and a passion for sport with Mrs Hyatt being a Leicester City season ticket holder for more than 30 years. The court heard that Mrs Hyatt's death was foreseeable. The company had failed to properly train staff and had left customers confused by inadequate and inconsistent signs. In a statement read to the court, Richard Lewis, CEO of RedCat Pub Company, expressed his "sincere personal regret" as the death was "entirely avoidable". The company said it accepted full responsibility. "We are genuinely very sorry ... We have plainly failed the Hyatt family. We will do all we can to prevent anything of the like happening again," added Mr Lewis. The court heard the company had since put in place risk assessments and evaluated the way in which it conducts staff training in relation to health and safety. ITV News Central Correspondent Peter Bearne sat down with the Paul Hyatt last year, who is still waiting for answers more than 12 months after his wife's death. In the time that passed, Paul, from Countesthorpe, repeatedly contacted the council for updates on the case, but said he has got nowhere. Paul has learned Harborough District Council have brought in a solicitor from another council to help with the case. In 2024, the council asked Paul for Julie's death certificate, something that the family won't get until after the inquest. ITV News Central is also aware of two other similar cases elsewhere in the country which came to court in 12 months. Speaking to ITV News Central, following the incident, Paul said: "It was hell at the time. I was in some very, very dark places." He added: "I just wish somebody would go in and shake that department up and get this sorted. Enough is enough. All I want is justice...I lost my wife." In response, Harborough District Council say that they sympathise with Mr Hyatt's frustrations. They told ITV News Central this case is a complex and lengthy criminal investigation, and they're unable to comment on its progress. "Specialist legal resource, they added, was allocated without delay. They said they've liaised with Mr Hyatt and his solicitor as much as they can, but there's a limit to what they can disclose."The Redcat Pub Company, which runs the Langton Arms, said: "We have and will continue to fully co-operate with the investigations being carried out by the authorities with regards to this incident."
North Wales Chronicle
10-06-2025
- North Wales Chronicle
Nursery worker admits manslaughter after death of 14-month-old boy
Kimberley Cookson, 22, appeared at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to one count of gross negligence manslaughter following the death of Noah Sibanda, who died after an incident at Dudley's Fairytales Day Nursery on December 9 2022. Business owner Deborah Latewood, 54, appeared alongside Cookson in the dock and pleaded not guilty to failing to comply with a duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act to ensure that Noah and others were not exposed to risk between November 29 and December 9 2022. A plea of not guilty was entered on behalf of the firm which ran the now-closed nursery, based in Bourne Street, to one count of corporate manslaughter, including an alleged failure to ensure that children in the baby room were put down to sleep in a safe way, failure to ensure that staff were adequately trained to put babies down to sleep and failure to ensure staff were adequately supervised while doing so. The company also pleaded not guilty to failing to comply with a duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act to ensure that Noah and others were not exposed to risk between November 29 and December 9 2022. Cookson, who wore a green shirt, and Latewood, who wore a white shirt and a grey blazer, spoke only to confirm their date of birth and to enter their pleas in front of the courtroom, which was packed with members of Noah's family and supporters of the defendants. Judge Michael Chambers KC said Latewood and the company would face a trial, likely to be in 2026, but did not set a date. Cookson will be sentenced upon conclusion of the trial, which is expected to last three weeks and both Cookson and Latewood were released on unconditional bail until the next hearing. Judge Chambers said: 'In your case, Kimberley Cookson, you have had the courage to plead guilty and will get the appropriate credit for that plea. 'I am adjourning your sentencing until the conclusion of the trial, so the judge will have all the facts of the case.' He warned both defendants that if they did not appear for their trial, they could face further criminal proceedings. A pre-trial review hearing was set for December 5.
Leader Live
10-06-2025
- Leader Live
Nursery worker admits manslaughter after death of 14-month-old boy
Kimberley Cookson, 22, appeared at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to one count of gross negligence manslaughter following the death of Noah Sibanda, who died after an incident at Dudley's Fairytales Day Nursery on December 9 2022. Business owner Deborah Latewood, 54, appeared alongside Cookson in the dock and pleaded not guilty to failing to comply with a duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act to ensure that Noah and others were not exposed to risk between November 29 and December 9 2022. A plea of not guilty was entered on behalf of the firm which ran the now-closed nursery, based in Bourne Street, to one count of corporate manslaughter, including an alleged failure to ensure that children in the baby room were put down to sleep in a safe way, failure to ensure that staff were adequately trained to put babies down to sleep and failure to ensure staff were adequately supervised while doing so. The company also pleaded not guilty to failing to comply with a duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act to ensure that Noah and others were not exposed to risk between November 29 and December 9 2022. Cookson, who wore a green shirt, and Latewood, who wore a white shirt and a grey blazer, spoke only to confirm their date of birth and to enter their pleas in front of the courtroom, which was packed with members of Noah's family and supporters of the defendants. Judge Michael Chambers KC said Latewood and the company would face a trial, likely to be in 2026, but did not set a date. Cookson will be sentenced upon conclusion of the trial, which is expected to last three weeks and both Cookson and Latewood were released on unconditional bail until the next hearing. Judge Chambers said: 'In your case, Kimberley Cookson, you have had the courage to plead guilty and will get the appropriate credit for that plea. 'I am adjourning your sentencing until the conclusion of the trial, so the judge will have all the facts of the case.' He warned both defendants that if they did not appear for their trial, they could face further criminal proceedings. A pre-trial review hearing was set for December 5.
