A farmer who killed his three-year-old son when he reversed a defective vehicle into him has been jailed.
Albie Speakman suffered catastrophic injuries when he was struck by a telehandler driven by Neil Speakman on their family farm in Bury, Greater Manchester, on 16 July 2022.
Albie had been left by his dad playing in an unsecured garden at the front of the farmhouse on Bentley Hall Road in Walshaw, before entering the yard.
Speakman was cleared of gross negligence manslaughter earlier this month, but has been given a one-year jail term after pleading guilty to a health and safety offence.
The trial heard Albie’s mother, Leah Bridge, had dropped off her son at the farm earlier that day for a regular weekend visit with Speakman who she had separated from shortly after his birth.
On the first day of his trial, Speakman pleaded guilty to an offence under the Health and Safety at Work Act in failing to ensure, so far as reasonably practical, the health and safety of Albie.
‘Not appropriate to work’
Jailing him at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court, Mr Justice Bourne told him: “To state the obvious it was a terrible tragedy for the child, for you and for Ms Bridge and the other family members.
“You have got to face up to the responsibility of that.”
He said what happened was “not bad luck”, it was “an entire failure to look after Albie and keep him safe”.
“It was not appropriate for you to work. Caring came first,” he added.
“There were three adults at the farm that day so there was nothing difficult in keeping him safe.”
