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Firefighter arrested in Burtle farmer death investigation

8:00am Tuesday 2nd March 2010


THE Mercury can today reveal a firefighter is facing a manslaughter probe over the death of a Sedgemoor farmer.

Harold Lee, of Robins Farm in Burtle, was crushed when his own herd of cows stampeded last August - his family claimed the animals were spooked by the wailing sirens and flashing lights of a fire engine heading to an emergency.

Mr Lee, 75, suffered serious head and chest injuries and died five days later in hospital.

Police launched an investigation following the incident and this week, following a six-month probe, officers confirmed a 49-year-old man from Somerset had been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter by gross negligence.

He has been bailed until this Friday.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service refused to comment due to the ongoing investigation - but the Mercury understands the man arrested is a fireman.

After the tragedy, Mr Lee's son Andrew said the family believed the accident might have been avoided had the fire crew waited until the cows were safely herded off the road before proceeding.

This week, he told the Mercury: ”We have always said that this incident should not have happened. As a family we would like justice to help put this behind us as quickly as possible.

“Things are still pretty raw at the moment and it will be until we get some answers as to why he died.

“He was a family man and a community man - he lived for Burtle - that was his life and he loved it.

“Hopefully this can be a step forward to justice for him.”


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mikeymike, Bridgwater says...
9:05am Tue 2 Mar 10

My deepest sympathy to the family b ut prosecuting a fireman for doing his duty has the world gone mad!!!! What next!
The fire service do a bloody hard and dangerous job putting their lives at risk day after day. I hope no one ever has to use their service but remember they are there to help save lives!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!

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somertel, Bridgwater says...
1:04pm Tue 2 Mar 10

mikeymike wrote:
My deepest sympathy to the family b ut prosecuting a fireman for doing his duty has the world gone mad!!!! What next! The fire service do a bloody hard and dangerous job putting their lives at risk day after day. I hope no one ever has to use their service but remember they are there to help save lives!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!
Precisely, they're there to save lives, and there's little point in endangering one person's life to save another's. We've all read the cases of speeding police killing innocent bystanders in the pursuit of their duty; emergency services cannot be allowed to put the lives of members of the public in danger. If they do, there's really little point in having them!

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mikeymike, Bridgwater says...
11:24pm Tue 2 Mar 10

Well i hope you kids are not trapped in a burning building while the fire service sit around with their thumbs up their a**es waiting to save them. tragic yes, but an emergency service call comes with an element of risk!!
I can understand a compensation claim but not procecution!

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war_eagle0110, says...
7:25pm Wed 3 Mar 10

There is a simple solution that could have prevented this whole situation. Insert ear plugs in all the cows ears. Then, the cows would never have heard the sirens and subsequently been spooked. Maybe you could pass a law requiring all cows to have their hearing blocked....and maybe put blindfolds on them too. Sound silly? Well, so does prosecuting a firefighter for trying to get to the scene of a call as fast as he could to possibly save a human life! What are you people thinking!!!!! Had it been a member of your family that firefighter was on his way to save, you would have a totally different opinion. Cows spook from sudden noises....that's a fact. So you don't put yourself in a position where if they do spook you might get hurt. Any farmer knows that.....never trust an animal! Sad the man died. But punishing a man for doing his job???? What is the point? Next you will be sueing kids with horns on their bicycles!!!!

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mikeymike, Bridgwater says...
11:22pm Wed 3 Mar 10

you put on your chip pan and forget it, next minute your house is on fire. The fire service turn up and one of them dies trying to save YOU. How about they prosecute YOU for manslaughter by gross negligence or are you going to say "well it's the risks they take"!!!

Compensation was just a suggestion to the alternative junction23, so get it right!!
Dont make the fire service too afraid to come out and do their fantastic jobs for fear of prosecution because i'm sure YOU will be the first to compalain!!

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O REALLY, says...
2:49pm Thu 4 Mar 10

Have any of you considered the law requires use of warning lights and sirens when responding to certain call on a fire truck or police car? Perhaps the fire fighter was following the law.

I am of the same opinion that if you cause a fire and someone dies related to that fire it's mansalughter in the least, perhaps more.

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cupra, Home says...
4:13pm Thu 4 Mar 10

I think everyone is getting emotive and not looking at the facts, as reported.
Harold Lee was moving Cows from field to field - something farmers do daily and he had done for 50 years without incident. In pretty much all of the country, you won't be able to avoid crossing, or proceeding along, a public road for a distance when moving livestock short distances.
The farmer was at the rear of the herd.
The engine was on it's way to a traffic accident.
This, at the moment, is all that we know.
The case has been on-going for 6 months and to lay a charge there must be deemed sufficient evidence.
Without hearing all this evidence that is, quite obviously, sub judice we can't pass further comment without immense speculation.
I think we can all, without fail, express sympathy to the family of the farmer and extend support to our emergency services at all times. No one wanted to be in this horrendous situation and we must leave it to the courts to decide what happened and how, and make our own judgements then.

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mikeymike, Bridgwater says...
11:52pm Thu 4 Mar 10

Well said cupra. No disrespect for the familys loss ever intended in my comments and my condolences go out to them!

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mebilbo, bridgwater says...
10:10pm Sat 6 Mar 10

unfortunately "accidents" like this will become more frequent as the population expands into the countryside, not knowing all facts on the outset this looks harsh. however there should be some form of protection IF emergency services are on emergency calls. now that is for the politicians to decide by responding to peoples choice. grief comes out in many guises and the sudden loss of a loved one hurts, looking to blame is normal. tragic this is and no one is going to win, all that will come of this is hurt to all concerned.

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Comments are closed on this article.

Family pay tribute to Burtle farmer BURTLE farmer Harold Lee was killed after being caught in a stampede of cows in Burtle on August 12 last year.


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