A Co Antrim fuel company was today fined £40,000 after an employee was crushed to death when he stopped to carry out a repair on a faulty air brake pipe on the oil tanker he was driving.Tweed Fuels, based on Portmuck Road in Larne, was charged that between May 24 and July 2, 2021 being Mr Reid's employer, 'failed to ensure, so far as was reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of employees'.
It was established that a pipe had come loose under the vehicle, and another member of staff got under the lorry and pushed the pipe back into place which enabled it to be driven again. Judge Paul Ramsey: "The fault happened again and the vehicle came to halt on the Ballyrobert Road at around half passed one in the afternoon.
Following the fatality, Mr Tweed attended Antrim police station for a voluntary interview on September 20, 2021 where he co-operated fully. Defence counsel Frank O'Donoghue KC said Tweed Fuels was a small family business which primarily supplies home heating oil but recently start selling garden furniture.