A Co Antrim tree surgeon has admitted a health and safety breach arising from the death of a father-of-four.
Christopher Auld appeared in the dock of Belfast Crown Court where he admitted a charge of failing to ensure the health, safety and welfare of his employees.
The charge is linked to the death of 36-year old Rodney Shirley who lost his life whilst working in the Hillsborough area in September 2021.
From north Belfast, Mr Shirley was working in a cherry picker when he was electrocuted.
Auld (41) from Strangford Road in Lisburn, was charged with two offences he initially denied and the case was listed to commence as a trial on Monday.
However, before the jury was sworn defence barrister Frank O’Donoghue KC addressed Judge Philip Gilpin and asked that his client be re-arraigned on the second charge.
After confirming his identity to a court clerk, Auld was charged that on September 30, 2021, being an employer he “failed to ensure, so far as was reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all your employees”.
When asked how he now pleaded to the charge, Auld replied “guilty”.
Crown barrister Geraldine McCullough KC then told Judge Gilpin that the first charge on the bill - namely the manslaughter of Mr Shirley - was being “left on the books” and was not being proceeded with.
Citing the “very sad and tragic background” to the case, Ms McCullough said the Crown would supply a “full opening” to the court ahead of sentencing.
She added that Victim Impact Statements were “being considered”.
Mr O’Donoghue said he was seeking a pre-sentence report on Auld.
As Mr Shirley’s loved ones sat in the public gallery, the defence barrister said that whilst the manslaughter plea was no longer being proceeded with, his client Auld has - by pleading guilty to the health and safety breach - “acknowledged that insofar as his arrangements were concerned regarding the health and safety of his employees at work, they fell short.
“That has been accepted by the defendant and those failings have resulted in the death of Mr Shirley and the defendant has to live with that consequence and that knowledge.”
Mr O’Donoghue added: “He has instructed me at this stage to offer his most sincere apology to the family of the deceased for what has occurred.
“Obviously when they all set out for work that morning he never expected that the work that day would result in what occurred.”
Saying court was “the last place” Auld expected to find himself in, Mr O’Donoghue continued: “Irrespective of any difficulties that he has ... anything either that he or his family has suffered is entirely secondary to the suffering that the Shirley family has endured and he wishes that to be publicly acknowledged at this time.”
Judge Gilpin set the date for the plea and sentence as April 3.