Fireworks Explosion Lands Father and Son in Jail
Factory owner Martin Winter and his son Nathan have been jailed on charges of manslaughter of two fire fighters who were killed during an explosion at a fireworks factory in December 2006.
The explosion occurred at Festival Fireworks UK Ltd (now known as Alpha Fireworks Ltd) in
Lewes Crown Court yesterday sentenced Martin Winter to seven years’ imprisonment, while his son Nathan, 25, was jailed for five years. A fine of £30,000 was imposed on the company for health and safety negligence.
The factory owners were found to have neglected health and safety of workers. They had packed an unlicensed metal container with fireworks, despite knowing to fact that a blaze could result in a serious explosion. They had used the metal container to store fireworks that were to be exported.
The court heard how a minor conflagration at the factory spread and engulfed the entire site owing to exploding fireworks. Fire service personnel decided to retreat from the place, but a few firemen stayed behind. One of them was Mr Wicker, and he was accompanied by Mr Wembridge, who was busy filming the spread of the fire.
The video footage of the fire taken by Mr Wembridge revealed that the explosion was so strong that the metal container doors were ripped apart by the pressure. It was as if a bomb had gone off.
Judge Mr Justice Cooke told the Winters that they had intentionally stored fireworks in unlicensed containers and thereby endangered the lives of many. He added that they were not authorized to stack explosives in unlicensed containers. The judge accused the winters that they had broken the explosives regulations for their personal gains.
The defence lawyers told jurors that the Winters cannot be held responsible for the deaths because the firemen should have been aware of the risks. The judge said that the firemen lacked proper training and awareness in dealing with fire scenarios where explosives were involved.
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