Neville Whightman
Paul Napier
A HAULIER has been found guilty of manslaughter after a man was crushed to death by a pontoon at Ipswich Docks.
During a week-long trial at Ipswich Crown Court, the jury heard 52-year-old Neville Wightman, of Penzance Road, Kesgrave, who worked for Red 7 Marine, was crushed to death under a pontoon which slipped off a lorry loader that tipped over at Ipswich Docks shortly before Christmas 2011.
Mr Wightman’s colleague Steven Burden, suffered serious injuries to his hip and pelvis in the incident.
Haulier Paul Napier, 48, of Inglenook, Clacton-on-Sea, denied manslaughter.
Napier chose not to give evidence during the trial but in a prepared statement to police after the tragedy he said that on the day in question he had been distracted on his arrival at Ipswich docks by chatting to Mr Wightman and Mr Burden and had not lowered the stabilising legs on his lorry loader before starting to unload a pontoon with a crane on his vehicle.
Napier will be sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court on May 17.
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