Shocking footage shows the moment a mother was catapulted from a fairground attraction, leaving her with ‘life-threatening’ injuries.
Khadra Ali, now 51, was not properly restrained during the Xcelerator ride at Funderpark in Hillingdon, west London, health and safety authorities said.
She was in a coma for weeks and spent months recovering in the hospital.
A Health and Safety Executive found the ride’s safety systems were faulty and there were serious deficiencies in the mechanisms.
Three men have been given suspended prison sentences and the fare inspector was also fined in connection with the incident in April 2018.
This is the terrifying moment mother-of-eight Khadra Ali, 51, is thrown from a fairground ride at a fair in Hillingdon, west London
Ms Ali clung to the fairground ride, called the Xcelerator, before she was violently thrown off before crashing into a nearby attraction and landing on the ground.
The mother of eight’s seat and safety bars were not checked before the ride started. Health and safety officials discovered that technical issues had been missed when the ride was inspected last year
Mother-of-eight Ms Ali, who was 45 at the time, was driving with her daughter and ‘screamed for help’ as she clung desperately before being turned away.
After being thrown from the ride, she hit the barrier of an adjacent ride and landed on the ground.
Ms Ali spent the next few weeks in a coma and four months in hospital as a result of her injuries – which included multiple fractures, internal bleeding and significant head injuries – and can now no longer do chores or activities with her children.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that the ride’s seat restraint system had been designed with electrical and mechanical defects by the manufacturer, Perrin Stevens Limited.
The ride control system was set up in such a way that it would not have noticed all faults, the HSE said.
The public body added that Derek Hackett, the ride’s owner who trades as Hackett Fairs, failed to properly maintain the ride.
It was said that this was partly due to the lack of information in the Perrin Stevens owner’s manual regarding the inspection and maintenance of the seat mounting system.
The investigation also found that on the day of the incident, the operator of Mr Hackett’s ride had no attendant to assist them, despite the operating manual requiring a minimum of two people to operate and monitor the ride.
The attractions at Funder Park in West London. Health and safety officials found the rides were defective and that Ms Ali’s safety system had not been checked
The mother was in a coma for weeks and spent four months recovering in hospital after suffering multiple fractures, internal bleeding and significant head injuries.
Crucially, the operator failed to check each rider’s mounting bar as he should before starting the ride, failed to notice that Ms Ali needed assistance and stopped the ride.
DMG Technical Ltd was the designated inspection body and had overall control of the annual inspection during the ride’s operation and responsibility for issuing certification of compliance with the operation.
David Geary, director at DMG Technical Ltd, completed the annual inspection in 2017 and identified no faulty switches or maintenance issues, the HSE said.
Hackett, Stevens and Geary all admitted breaching health and safety regulations and were given suspended prison sentences on May 7.
DMG Technical Ltd, which also admitted an offense under the Health and Safety at Work Act, was fined £51,000.
HSE Inspector Helen Donnelly said: ‘Mrs Ali was simply enjoying a day out with her children in what she expected to be a safe environment.
‘As a result, she continues to suffer pain and this has a significant impact on her daily life.
‘Good health and safety management often requires multiple precautions to be taken, and often by different parties.
‘This incident shows that there are serious consequences when we fail to meet our health and safety duties and become dependent on the actions of others to ensure the safety of workers and the public.
‘Good health and safety is a collective effort and we must all take responsibility for the role we play in keeping people safe.
‘Although this investigation has been long and complex, we hope that Ms Ali and her family will find some comfort in the sentence and that justice has now been served.’
A statement from Ms Ali’s representative said: ‘The family of Khadra Ali is deeply relieved that criminal charges have been completed following the tragic incident at the Funderpark Fun Fair.
“They are grateful to everyone who has supported them through this challenging process.
‘While no outcome can undo the impact of the life-changing injuries on Khadra’s health and wellbeing, they hope this marks the start of their journey to rebuild their lives and give her the support she needs to move on come.
“The family remains committed to providing Khadra with the best possible quality of life.
“They respectfully request privacy as they continue to focus on caring for Khadra and meeting the challenges ahead.”
During the court hearing, Stevens, from Berkshire, was given a 32-week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work and pay £11,444 in costs.
Hackett, from Manchester, was given an 18-week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to pay £4,800 in costs.
Geary, from Hackney, was also given a 44-week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to pay £24,000 in costs.