The father of a man killed by an employer's negligence today branded the sentence imposed on boss Roger Jackson as "insulting".

Gary Speight, of Scholes, near Bradford, said Jackson should have been jailed after being found guilty of the manslaughter of John Speight at Leeds Crown Court yesterday.

Jackson, 44, owner of Easy Moss Products in Dewsbury, was given a 12 month suspended sentence for manslaughter and fined a total of £10,000 for failing to ensure the safety of his workers and others.

Judge Mr Justice Smedley said he had ruled out imprisonment for the sake of Jackson's two children, aged 12 and ten, wife Helen, and 18 workers at Easy Moss which was deemed likely to collapse if Jackson was jailed.

Afterwards, Mr Speight, 52, who sat through the trial with his wife Anna, said: "It's insulting. The judge says he did it for Jackson's family but what about our family? He deserved to go down. We've lived with this for two years. We think about my son John every day. We can't sleep, it's affected the health of all of us."

Mr Speight, of Foldings Road, said his family was now considering a civil damages claim against Jackson.

The jury returned a majority guilty verdict on the manslaughter charge after considering the two-week case for more than six hours.

They also unanimously found Jackson guilty of failing to ensure the safety of his workers and others under the Health and Safety Act of 1974.

Jackson, of Barker Street, Horbury, Wakefield, now faces prosecution costs of £25,000.

On January 29, 1998, John Speight fell from a scrapped railway platform trolley which was being used at the firm as a bin.

The 25-year-old was lifted into the air while in the trolley by a fork lift truck driven by heroin addict Grant Leather - who was high on drugs.

He toppled and the 150kg trolley, which had nothing to attach it to the fork lift, crashed onto his ribs. He died five days later in hospital.

Jackson had founded the firm, which made linings for hanging baskets, three years earlier and employed several workers with special needs - including Mr Speight who was illiterate and unable to sweep up when he first started.

Sentencing, Mr Justice Smedley said: "I do not wish that the public should think your offence was not a serious one. Manslaughter holds a stigma second only to murder. It is vitally important that people who start in business are not led to believe they can by-pass the requirements of health and safety legislation."

Health and Safety Executive factory inspector Steven Kay, who investigated the incident with police, said after the trial that he hoped the guilty verdict would send a strong message to employers, senior managers and directors.

He said: "John Speight's death was a preventable tragedy. Had basic steps been taken by his employer, he would still be with us today."

Mr Speight added: "Jackson is responsible for my son's death. John was a good lad, he used to do bike rides for charity."

His other son Wayne Speight, 25, who lived with John at a flat in Foldings Avenue, said: "John enjoyed life. He was a good brother and we miss him."

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