Owner jailed after girl died in trampoline explosion

The owner of a beach inflatable has been jailed for six months following the death of a three-year-old girl who was killed when it exploded.

Ava-May Littleboy suffered a fatal head injury after being thrown in the air when an inflatable trampoline blew up at Gorleston-on-Sea in Norfolk in 2018.

Curt Johnson, 52, and his company Johnsons Funfair Ltd had both previously admitted two counts of breaching health and safety laws.

Judge Christopher Williams said there was “no sentence I can pass that can make right this awful tragedy”.

Ava-May, from Lower Somersham in Suffolk, was with family at the beach on 1 July when she was taken on to the trampoline.

Witnesses described her being thrown “higher than a house” when the inflatable burst and that she appeared to be unconscious before she hit the ground.

One other child, aged nine, was on the inflatable but did not sustain “significant physical injury”, Great Yarmouth Borough Council previously said.

In 2020, an inquest jury concluded no procedure was in place to safely manage the trampoline’s inflation, that it had not been checked by an independent third party and had no instruction manual.

Parents Nathan Rowe and Chloe Littleboy described their daughter as a “bright, funny, beautiful girl” and said they hoped “people see the serious risks these attractions can pose”.

During sentencing at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court, District Judge Williams told Johnson: “I reflect on the suffering and anguish the family have been through.

“Ultimately a child has lost their life because of failures on your part.

“This is a case that’s of such seriousness that I have to conclude a deterrent sentence is necessary.”

In mitigation, Oliver Campbell KC said his client Johnson and his wife “deeply regret” the incident and Ava-May’s “tragic death”.

“He apologises sincerely to the court and the family for his failings,” he said, adding that the company “ceased trading some time ago and will not trade again”.

Mr Campbell said that Johnson tried to kill himself in 2018, had suffered depression and had received threats.

Johnsons Funfair Limited, of Great Yarmouth, was also fined £20,000 and ordered to pay combined costs of £300,000 to the Health & Safety Executive and Great Yarmouth Borough Council, who brought the prosecution.

Johnson, of Swanston’s Road in Yarmouth, was also disqualified from being a company director for five years.

The court previously heard the company had an insurance policy that would cover the £300,000 costs.

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