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| Fairground workers found guilty of causing death of seven-year-old girl when bouncy castle blew away | Fairground workers found guilty of causing death of seven-year-old girl when bouncy castle blew away |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Fairground workers have been convicted of causing the death of a seven-year-old girl who was killed when the bouncy castle she was playing on blew away. | Fairground workers have been convicted of causing the death of a seven-year-old girl who was killed when the bouncy castle she was playing on blew away. |
| Summer Grant had gone to the funfair in Harlow, Essex, with family including her father and five-year-old sister in March 2016. | Summer Grant had gone to the funfair in Harlow, Essex, with family including her father and five-year-old sister in March 2016. |
| Married couple William Thurston, 29, and Shelby Thurston, 26, were running the bouncy castle for employer Thurston’s Funfairs at the time. | Married couple William Thurston, 29, and Shelby Thurston, 26, were running the bouncy castle for employer Thurston’s Funfairs at the time. |
| Chelmsford Crown Court heard that wind speeds had been increasing through the day, with the highest gusts hitting 35-40mph by the late afternoon. | Chelmsford Crown Court heard that wind speeds had been increasing through the day, with the highest gusts hitting 35-40mph by the late afternoon. |
| But the couple continued to let children on the bouncy castle without ensuring that it was safely secured to the ground. | But the couple continued to let children on the bouncy castle without ensuring that it was safely secured to the ground. |
| The Thurstons had already shut an inflatable slide and said they were going to do the same for the bouncy castle but waited for Summer to finish her turn on the “Circus SuperDome”. | The Thurstons had already shut an inflatable slide and said they were going to do the same for the bouncy castle but waited for Summer to finish her turn on the “Circus SuperDome”. |
| Moments later the wind lifted it into the air and pulled it away from its moorings, 300m down a hill. | |
| Summer’s father, Lee Grant, told the court how he chased the bouncy castle and found it deflated on the ground with his daughter inside. | Summer’s father, Lee Grant, told the court how he chased the bouncy castle and found it deflated on the ground with his daughter inside. |
| “I just heard my mum scream ‘no’ and within seconds it blew away,” he said. “I just saw some sort of cable flying in the air and it just blew away. | |
| “I remember it blowing over some sort of caravan and kept on going over the field. I started running after the bouncy castle down the field.” | |
| Mr Grant described it flying up to 50ft (15m) in the air before “rolling and rolling”, appearing to hit a tree and eventually coming to a halt at a fence. | |
| Both his daughters lived in Norwich but were visiting him in Harlow at the time. | Both his daughters lived in Norwich but were visiting him in Harlow at the time. |
| Summer was taken to hospital but died from her injuries hours later. | Summer was taken to hospital but died from her injuries hours later. |
| Her mother, Cara Blackie, described her as a “bright, beautiful and most loving little girl”, adding: “It just doesn’t make sense.” | Her mother, Cara Blackie, described her as a “bright, beautiful and most loving little girl”, adding: “It just doesn’t make sense.” |
| Mr Grant, who was in court for the verdict, said: “She was the most happy, polite and beautiful girl in the world. I still can’t come to terms she’s not here. We all love you so, so much, you will always be with us.” | |
| The Thurstons, of Whitecross Road in Wilburton, denied gross negligence manslaughter and failing to discharge their health and safety duties but were found guilty by a majority on Wednesday. | |
| There were gasps and sobs from their relatives as the verdicts were read out, while Ms Blackie appeared tearful as she left the courtroom before the hearing had finished. | There were gasps and sobs from their relatives as the verdicts were read out, while Ms Blackie appeared tearful as she left the courtroom before the hearing had finished. |
| Judge Mr Justice Garnham, delaying sentencing until a later date, said he would be “seriously considering imprisonment”. | Judge Mr Justice Garnham, delaying sentencing until a later date, said he would be “seriously considering imprisonment”. |
| Nicola Rutter, of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said: “William and Shelby Thurston failed to ensure that the bouncy castle was adequately anchored to the ground and failed to monitor the weather conditions to ensure that it was safe to have it in use. | |
| “They denied their actions were negligent but the CPS and the police built a strong case, together with assistance from the Health and Safety Executive, and demonstrated to the jury that the Thurstons had breached their duty of care to Summer. | “They denied their actions were negligent but the CPS and the police built a strong case, together with assistance from the Health and Safety Executive, and demonstrated to the jury that the Thurstons had breached their duty of care to Summer. |
| “Our thoughts are with Summer’s family and friends.” | “Our thoughts are with Summer’s family and friends.” |
| Additional reporting by PA | Additional reporting by PA |