Shredder death victim caught on CCTV moments before

A man who was crushed to death in an industrial shredder had been lifted by his manager on a digger to fix the machine seconds before he died, CCTV shows.

The remains of David Willis, 29, were never found after he fell into the machine at Timmins Waste Services (TWS), in Wolverhampton on 15 September 2018.

Yard manager, Brian Timmins who was operating the equipment, has been found guilty of manslaughter.

Mr Willis was considered missing for two days before what had happened to him came to light.

At Wolverhampton Crown Court, TWS was also found guilty of corporate manslaughter.

Timmins, of Fair Lawn, Albrighton, in Shropshire, had been running the shredder when it stopped abruptly.

In order to fix the problem, Mr Willis was lifted up on to the machine to clear the blockage.

But the shredder, which should have been switched off while work was being carried out, was still ejecting waste, West Midlands Police said.

CCTV footage shows Mr Willis going into the machine but he then failed to re-emerge.

Timmins had carried on operating the shredder, meaning waste covered the labourer’s remains, the court had heard.

The following day, Timmins returned to the site and helped workers load up 80 tonnes of waste, which would have included Mr Willis’s remains, before it was driven to a landfill site in Cannock, the force added.

Brian Timmins has been found guilty of manslaughter

Mr Willis’s mother Caroline reported him missing on the evening of 15 September when he did not return home to Tipton and called Timmins just before 23:00 BST to ask if he had seen him.

When the victim’s coat was found near the shredder two days later, the incident came to light.

In tribute, Mr Willis’s family said: “David’s death is as painful for us now as it was five years ago.

“David has missed out on so many treasured family moments, including the birth of his niece and the growing up of his nephew, who still treats David as his superhero in the sky.”

Det Insp Jim Colclough, added: “We found major, systemic failings across TWS which meant workers were put at risk.

“Risk assessments were not done, and safe methods of working were simply not put in place.

“Timmins’ failure to lock off the shredder, and his decision to put Mr Willis in a position of danger, directly caused this tragedy.

“The fact that we could not recover David has added to the anguish caused to his family, and denied them the chance to say goodbye to him with dignity.”

Timmins, who was granted unconditional bail, and TWS will be sentenced at a later date.

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