A dad who fatally ran over his three-year-old son with a defective tractor pumped his fists in court as he was found not guilty of manslaughter. Albie Speakman died from catastrophic injuries after Neil Speakman, 39, reversed a telehandler into him on his farm in Bury on July 16, 2022. The incident unfolded in a yard near the front of the farmhouse in Walshaw, Greater Manchester after the dad left Albie to play with the family's two pet dogs.
Mr Speakman had used the Kramer telehandler but was not officially trained, the court heard. It was found to have various defects, including a missing wing mirror. The prosecution told jurors at the Minshull Street Crown Court trial Albie died as a result of his father's negligence, which created a "serious and obvious risk of death". Health and safety officials found the various defects would have hindered safe operation, reports Manchester Evening News. A report concluded it was 'foreseeable that persons in the vicinity of the vehicle could be injured or killed when the vehicle was working'. The report added: "The operator would have had a restricted view of a person in certain positions near to the rear of the vehicle, more so a person of less than average height.".
On Tuesday, jurors found Mr Speakman not guilty, clearing him of gross negligence manslaughter. He previously pleaded guilty to breaching a section of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The trial heard Mr Speakman was interviewed by police and said Albie 'knew not to go near anything'. He said: "He knew, he weren't f****** stupid... it's a farm isn't it? It's not a f****** playground and Albie knew it weren't, he knew his boundaries. He knew where he could go and where he couldn't go.".
An officer asked: "How did he know?" Mr Speakman replied: "Because you told him. You know he wasn't a r****d." Albie would stay at the farm on alternate weekends, and was dropped off by his mum, Leah Bridge, in the morning of July 16, jurors were told. Mr Speakman and Ms Bridge had separated shortly after Albie was born. After discovering he had reversed into Albie, Mr Speakman ran into the house and asked his partner to call an ambulance, the trial heard.
John Elvidge KC told jurors: "He said something like, 'I caught him with the tractor, I got him. Mr Speakman had Albie in his arms and was in a state of panic.". While driving to the hospital they flagged down a passing ambulance, where Albie was attended to by paramedics. They were unable to resuscitate him, and he was pronounced dead that afternoon at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital. A post mortem report showed that he had suffered 'multiple crush injuries' to his head, body and legs.
Giving evidence last week, Mr Speakman told jurors his son's death was a 'tragic accident'. Breaking down in tears, he said: "I shouldn't have to do this, it's f*****g not fair. I shouldn't have left him in the garden, we all know that. I have not met the standard of care. Is it truly exceptionally bad, neglectful behaviour? No. I messed up, I made a mistake.". He said that as the telehandler had a missing wing mirror, he would 'check profusely' for blind spots, but said he didn't see his son. He said: "I am always careful in what I do. He was my little boy." Asked to describe what happened next, he said: "You felt a bump instantly. I had travelled 10cm, 20cm... I stopped instantly. It was a split second.
"I looked right and saw his legs, and jumped off." In cross examination, Mr Speakman said: "It was a tragic accident. I made a mistake.". The court was told about an incident in 2020 in which Mr Speakman was warned by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) about the use of another piece of farm machinery with a lifting bucket attached. Official became aware after a video posted online showed Mr Speakman's partner, Millie Barrack, inside the bucket in the air as the defendant moved the vehicle. A letter was sent by the HSE to Mr Speakman warning him of the potentially fatal consequences, jurors were told. He claimed in court he never saw the letter.
