Tearful farmer denies manslaughter of farm volunteer

A smallholder who is on trial for manslaughter has denied allowing a young farm volunteer to use the unsafe milling machinery which killed her.

Neil Carpenter broke down in tears as he told a jury about finding the body of 20-year-old Lauren Scott near the machine on his farm at Dawlish, Devon, in March last year.

Miss Scott, 20, died after her hair and clothing became entangled in the milling machine, which dated from before the Second World War. She was found dead or dying by Carpenter shortly afterwards. 

See also: Farm volunteer died after being dragged into milling machine

Mr Carpenter, 45, from Firbank Road, Dawlish, has denied causing Miss Scott’s death by gross negligence.

Neil Carpenter © Nick Irving of Exeter

However, he has admitted two counts under the Health and Safety Act of failing to ensure the safety of visitors.

He told Exeter Crown Court on Thursday (1 November) that he would never have let her use the machine “in a month of Sundays” – and only used it himself when it was fenced off by hurdles.

He said he knew the milling machine was potentially dangerous and banned Miss Scott and other volunteers from using it.

The prosecution alleges that Mr Carpenter was grossly negligent in failing to repair a broken protective covering on the shaft of the drive, the power-take off (PTO), which ran from a tractor to the milling machine.

PTO cover replacement cost £75

The PTO which allowed the tractor to power up the milling machine, and a replacement cover, would have cost just £75.

The prosecution says Mr Carpenter’s account of knowing nothing about the milling operation cannot be true because he was seen starting the tractor in the background of a video which Miss Scott filmed on her phone 28 minutes before he called 999 at 1:17pm.

He said footage shot of it in action which was found on Miss Scott’s phone was taken when he was operating it and she was standing behind it.

On the day of her death, he said he thought she was rebuilding a pig shelter and only realised something was wrong when he heard a bang.

He sobbed as he told the jury: “I remember her going off, I did not know where she went. I trusted her. I carried on cleaning out the stables and I heard a bang. At first I thought it was a cow kicking a barrier.

“I came out and saw smoke coming from the tractor’s exhaust. I walked down relatively calmly and saw the mill on its side. I got on the tractor and turned off the engine and the PTO.

“I got out and walked around the back calling for Lauren and found her lying there. She shouldn’t have been down there. There was no need for her to be there. It was never one of her jobs.

“I genuinely don’t know where she got the key. I did not see her go anywhere I trusted her. Never in a month of Sundays would I expect her to be milling corn. She had been getting stressed about not building the pig arcs.”

No recollection of video

Asked about the video, he said he could not remember.

He said: “The machine was broken and we were not milling corn. I had no reason to get on the tractor.”

He added that “in hindsight” he should have bought a new cover for the PTO shaft. “It was a failing on my behalf not realising it had to have a plastic cover. I now know my mistake.”

Miss Scott, from nearby Kenton, was an animal lover who helped out at 4ha Springfield Farm without payment when she was not working at the Secret Garden at Powderham Castle and as a volunteer horse catcher at Newton Abbot Races.

The trial continues.