Man pleads guilty over Cork farm death incident

Liam Day, who is in his sixties, pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to provide a safe place of work at the farm premises at Ard na Bourkey, Whitegate, County Cork, on January 22, 2020.

A Whitegate farmer pleaded guilty to a charge in respect of a fatal health and safety incident before Cork Circuit Criminal Court following a death on the farm more than three years ago.

Liam Day, who is in his sixties, pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to provide a safe place of work at the farm premises at Ard na Bourkey, Whitegate, County Cork, on January 22, 2020.

No details of the incident were given in court on the background circumstances that gave rise to the incident.

However, the charge itself does provide some details on the issue.

It stated that the piece of work at which the victim was working was underneath a piece of work that was under the control of the defendant at the relevant time.

The charge further stated that the defendant failed to ensure, so far as was reasonably practicable, that the place of work — specifically a Thorpe Steel grain trailer — was safe and without risk to health. In particular, access and egress to the trailer were gained through the tailgate which was propped open by wooden props that were unstable and collapsed and, as a consequence, Laurence Costello, who was in his sixties, suffered personal injury and died.

Judge Boyle adjourned sentencing until June 19 in a case where the accused was represented by barrister Paula McCarthy.