Bury St Edmunds horse death man Duncan Drye sentenced

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-25715110

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The owner of a horse that bolted at a country fair, killing a 57-year-old woman, has been sentenced to carry out 200 hours of community work.

Carole Bullett was hit by a horse and carriage at Nowton Park Country Fair in Bury St Edmunds in 2011 and died from chest injuries the following day.

Duncan Drye, 65, from Bishops Road in the Suffolk town, admitted breaching health and safety law.

He appeared at Ipswich Crown Court and was told to carry out the unpaid work.

Ms Bullett died in Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, the day after being struck by the horse as it bolted into the crowds on Sunday, 19 June 2011.

An inquest in 2012 found Ms Bullet's death was accidental.

'Entirely preventable'

Drye admitted he failed to ensure visitors to the event were not exposed to risks as he provided horse and carriage rides.

Last year, St Edmundsbury Borough Council, which organised the fair, was cleared of a health and safety offence by a jury at Ipswich Crown Court.

Insp Malcolm Crowther, from the Health and Safety Executive, said Ms Bullett's death was "entirely preventable".

"Because Mr Drye failed to take the necessary safety precautions, one woman needlessly lost her life and a number of others were injured," he said.

"Horse and carriage rides can be run safely provided the proper control measures are in place.

"It is vital that operators are adequately trained and assessed before they are allowed to operate a ride in public, that adequate risk assessments are carried out and the ride is safely segregated from the public.''

Drye was not ordered to pay costs.