A FARMER has been fined £5,500 with £5.813 costs following the death of a “warm-hearted” man from Llansoy, near Raglan, in a tragic accident on farm four years ago.

Allen Roberts, of Hill Farm, Wyesham, Monmouth, was handed the penalty at Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates’ Court in connection with the August 25, 2022, all-terrain vehicle crash that led to the death of 58-year-old Colin Williams.

An air ambulance attends the scene of the fatal accident in Wyesham
An air ambulance attends the scene of the fatal accident in Wyesham (Beacon)

Mr Williams had been clearing vegetation and trees from a farm access route in August 2022.

As the ATV was being driven down a hillside by his co-worker, the driver lost control, with Mr Williams ejected from the vehicle, which did not have any doors.

He suffered fatal crush injuries and died at the scene.

Roberts pleaded guilty to an offence under the Health and Safety at Work Act at a court hearing on September 2.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that neither Mr Williams or the driver of the vehicle had been provided with adequate training and neither of the men were wearing seat belts.

Damian Corbett, HSE principal inspector, said: "This accident was a tragic consequence of a lack of training and a lack of basic safety precautions which cost a family a husband and a father.

"Employers must ensure that those entrusted to operate vehicles are properly trained and instructed to wear seat belts or safety equipment where there is a risk."

The investigation also found that no routine pre-use checks were made on any of the vehicles owned by Allen Roberts that were used on the farm, to ensure they were safe to use.

The investigation identified that the tyres of the ATV were improperly inflated, with differing pressures in each tyre, which should have been rectified before the vehicle was used.

The vehicle was being driven in a high gear and two-wheel drive when it should have been in a low gear and four-wheel drive.

The keys to the ATV were not adequately controlled and were available to anyone who was on the farm, including those not adequately trained

Following his death, a party in memory of Colin raised thousands of pounds for charity.

The Wales Air Ambulance attended the incident in 2022, but despite the crew’s best efforts, Mr Williams could not be saved.

As a thank you to the medics for doing all that they could, Colin’s wife Helen and his family wanted to raise funds for the air ambulance, and raised over £12,700 in total, with a party at Great House Farm, Llansoy, where Colin grew up, raising over £10,000 alone with more than 300 attendees.

Colin and Helen had celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary just a week before his death.

The family paid tribute to him following his death saying: “Colin was a remarkable man who was warm-hearted and welcomed everyone he knew with open arms. Whoever you were, he managed to find a way to connect with you in a way that no one else could.

“He could make light of any predicament thanks to his empathetic nature, boundless generosity, and quick wit.”