Horse and carriage organisers fined over 2012 Angharad Rees death

horse-and-carriage-organisers-fined-over-2012-angharad-rees-death
Horse and carriage organisers fined over 2012 Angharad Rees death

A horse and carriage fun day organised by the British Driving Society has resulted in a £230,000 penalty after a teenager was killed taking part in an event carried out 12 years ago. Swansea Crown Court was told the competition was held at Afan Argoed Country Park in Port Talbot when Angharad Rees, an experienced carriage driver, was thrown off her carriage and died following fatal head injuries. She was driving her own horse, Magic, with her groom’s carriage. According to reports, the event was her first introduction to a competitive off-road event. 

“The prosecution case is that the series of failings in the organisation and safety management of the event led to the accident,” said prosecutor Adam Farrer. Miss Rees lost control of the trap on a steep and narrow track and collided with a tree causing fatal injuries to her head. The route was considered unsafe by experts retained by the prosecution team because it was too narrow, too steep and not suitable for carriage driving. 

According to Mr Farrer, the British Driving Society failed to inspect the equipment used in the event before the competition and thereafter, participants were not required to wear safety equipment. Mark Harris, defending, who represented the Society said that three directors of the organisation were present in court out of “respect” to the legal proceedings and the BDS had been a fault-free organisation except for this one occasion. 

The British Driving Society pleaded guilty to four offences under the Health and Safety at Work Act for which a fine of £90,000 was imposed, and an additional £140,000 awarded to cover costs. Judge Geraint Walters claimed there had been a “casual approach to formality” in the process of organising the competition. 

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