Summer Grant: Fairground workers jailed for causing death of seven-year-old girl when bouncy castle flew away

'You took the most monumental risk with children's lives by allowing them on bouncy castle,' says judge in shocking indictment of married couple whose negligence led to death

Shelby and William Thurston have both been jailed for three years (PA)

Two fairground workers responsible for the death of a seven-year-old girl who was blown away on a bouncy castle because they failed to secure it have been jailed for three years.

Married couple William and Shelby Thurston were both found guilty of manslaughter by gross negligence after Summer Grant was killed at an Easter fair in Harlow, Essex, in March 2016.

The couple’s negligence allowed the wind to lift the inflatable away from its moorings and send it "cartwheeling" 300 metres down a hill, an earlier trial at Chelmsford Crown Court heard.

The Thurstons, aged 29 and 26 and of Wilburton, near Ely in Cambridgeshire were also found guilty of a health and safety offence over the incident, for which they received a 12-month concurrent sentence.

Summer Grant, who died aged 7 when a bouncy castle was blown away (Essex Police)

Handing down his sentence, Mr Justice Garnham said the couple "took the most monumental risk with children's lives by continuing to allow children on the bouncy castle" after they decided to close the big slide, "and that risk-taking cost Summer her life".

He also called on the Health and Safety Executive to take the steps necessary to make it compulsory for fairground operators to have proper wind speed measuring equipment.

He added: "On hearing the evidence in this case, it strikes me as extraordinary in the 21st century that it should be common place in the fairground industry, as the evidence I have heard suggests it is, that inflatable play equipment should be operated and open to the public without the operators using proper wind speed measuring devices.

"I was told that adequate wind meters can be purchased for £100 or less.

"I would urge the Health and Safety Executive to take the steps necessary to make their use compulsory at fairgrounds to prevent another tragedy like that of Summer Grant."

Reading a victim impact statement at Chelmsford Crown Court on Friday, Summer's mother Cara Blackie described how she screamed when she heard the news of her daughter's death.

Unable to continue giving the emotional statement, Ms Blackie sat down as prosecutor Tracy Ayling QC continued reading.

"I never thought that my Summer playing and having fun on the bouncy castle would end her young life," she said.

Summer's father Lee Grant told the trial he turned to see the bouncy castle in the air after he heard a scream, and said "my daughter's in there".

He said he gave chase but could not catch the inflatable.

Summer was rescued from within the bouncy castle and taken to hospital where she died from her injuries.

Additional reporting by agencies