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Hugo Boss fined £1.2m over Bicester Village mirror death | |
(35 minutes later) | |
Designer clothing company Hugo Boss has been fined £1.2m over the death of a young boy crushed by a mirror at its Bicester Village store. | |
Austen Harrison, four, suffered fatal head injuries at the Oxfordshire outlet store in June 2013. | |
Oxford Crown Court heard the 120kg mirror had "negligently been left free-standing without any fixings". | Oxford Crown Court heard the 120kg mirror had "negligently been left free-standing without any fixings". |
The company had previously admitted breaching health and safety at work regulations. | The company had previously admitted breaching health and safety at work regulations. |
Austen, from Crawley, West Sussex, had been playing with the steel-framed fitting-room mirror, described as being balanced upright like a "domino piece", when it toppled on to him while his father tried on a suit. | |
The youngster had emergency surgery to relieve pressure on his brain but died four days later after his life-support was switched off. | |
In a statement, Hugo Boss UK said the accident had "shocked and saddened" the entire company and acknowledged "Austen's death was wholly avoidable". | |
It added: "There are no words the company can use to alleviate in any way the enormous suffering caused to Austen's parents in particular. | |
"We offer our most sincere regret and apology." | |
Judge Peter Ross said "it would have been obvious to the untrained eye" that the mirror posed a risk, adding it was "nothing short of a miracle" it had not fallen before. | Judge Peter Ross said "it would have been obvious to the untrained eye" that the mirror posed a risk, adding it was "nothing short of a miracle" it had not fallen before. |
He added he was sure the health and safety breach went "to the very top of the company". | |
A statement released by Austen's mother, now Irina Glaser after she and Austen's father Simon Harrison divorced, said her son's "greatest pleasure in life was to help others". | |
She added: "In his memory I invite you to help someone, no matter how small or large the deed, to assist Austen in creating a friendlier world. | |
"My love extends to each one of you for doing this." | |
Hugo Boss is one of more than 130 stores at the Bicester Village designer shopping outlet. |