On July 16, 2022, in Bury, Greater Manchester, a tragic incident occurred involving 39-year-old Neil Speakman, who fatally ran over his three-year-old son, Albie Speakman. Mr. Speakman described the event as a "tragic accident" during his trial, stating, "One bit of human error... has ruined my life."

According to the jury, Albie sustained catastrophic head injuries when Mr. Speakman reversed a telehandler in a yard adjacent to the farmhouse on Bentley Hall Road, Walshaw. At the time, Mr. Speakman had left Albie playing with the family's two dogs.

The prosecution argues that the telehandler was "defective" and that Albie's death resulted from his father's negligence, creating a serious risk of death. Mr. Speakman denies the charge of gross negligence manslaughter.

Testifying at Minshull Street Crown Court on January 29, Mr. Speakman became emotional, admitting, "I shouldn't have to do this, it's f*****g not fair. I shouldn't have left him in the garden... I have not met the standard of care. Is it truly exceptionally bad, neglectful behavior? No. I messed up, I made a mistake."

He explained that the telehandler was missing a wing mirror, which led him to check for blind spots before reversing. "I looked right and saw his legs, and jumped off," he recalled, stating it was an instantaneous event.

During cross-examination by prosecutor John Elvidge KC, Mr. Speakman reiterated that it was a tragic accident and acknowledged his responsibility to keep Albie away from moving vehicles. He insisted that he had checked for blind spots as thoroughly as possible, stating, "Why would I risk my boy's f****** safety?"

When questioned about why he hadn’t brought Albie inside, Mr. Speakman explained that it was a hot day and Albie wanted to play outside with the dogs. Mr. Elvidge countered, asking if a three-year-old could manage his own safety, to which Mr. Speakman admitted, "I shouldn't have left him in the garden."

He emphasized, "It's one bit of human error for a split second which has ruined my life," and noted seeing Albie playing with the dogs just moments before the collision.

Furthermore, the prosecution claimed that Mr. Speakman had disregarded a 2020 warning from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) regarding the use of another piece of farm machinery. A video had surfaced on social media, showing a teenager being hoisted inside a lifting bucket while Mr. Speakman operated the vehicle.

Mr. Speakman denied ever receiving such a warning letter from the HSE, attributing the miscommunication to issues with missing mail at his home.

Mr. Speakman, residing on Bentley Hall Road, Tottington, Bury, denies the charge of gross negligence manslaughter but has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of violating the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

Proceeding