Shocking images show the moment a mother was catapulted from a fairground ride, leaving her with life-threatening injuries.
Khadra Ali, now 51, was not properly restrained on the Xcelerator ride at Funderpark in Hillingdon, west London, health and safety authorities said.
He spent weeks in a coma and months recovering in the hospital.
A Health and Safety executive found that the attraction’s restraint systems were defective and that there were serious failures in the mechanisms.
Three men received suspended prison sentences and the travel inspector was also fined in connection with the April 2018 incident.
This is the terrifying moment Khadra Ali, 51, a mother of eight, is thrown off a ride at a funfair in Hillingdon, west London.
Mrs Ali clung to the fairground ride, called the Xcelerator, before being thrown violently before crashing into a nearby ride and landing on the ground.
The mother of eight’s seat and safety bars were not checked before starting the journey. Health and Safety officials discovered technical issues had been overlooked when the attraction was reviewed the previous year.
Mother-of-eight Mrs Ali, who was 45 at the time, was in the vehicle with her daughter and “screamed for help” as she desperately clung on before being ejected.
After being thrown off the ride, she hit the barrier of an adjacent ride and landed on the ground.
Mrs Ali spent the following weeks in a coma and four months in hospital as a result of her injuries, which included multiple fractures, internal bleeding and a significant head injury, and is now no longer able to carry out household chores or activities with her children.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that the travel seat restraint system was designed with electrical and mechanical faults by the manufacturer, Perrin Stevens Limited.
The suspension control system was configured in such a way that it would not have detected all faults, the HSE said.
The public body added that Derek Hackett, the owner of the attraction which markets as Hackett Fairs, failed to properly maintain the attraction.
He said this was partly because Perrin Stevens’ operator’s manual lacked information on inspection and maintenance of the seat restraint system.
The investigation also found that on the day of the incident the operator of Mr. Hackett’s ride did not have any assistants assisting him even though the operations manual required a minimum of two people to operate and monitor the ride.
The attractions at Funderpark in west London. Health and Safety officers found the rides were faulty and Ms Ali’s restraint system was not checked.
The mother spent weeks in a coma and four months recovering in the hospital after suffering multiple fractures, internal bleeding and significant head trauma.
Crucially, the operator did not check each passenger’s grab bar as he should have done before beginning the journey, and did not realize that Ms Ali needed help and stopped the journey.
DMG Technical Ltd was the designated inspection body and had overall control of the annual in-service inspection of the vehicle and responsibility for issuing the operation compliance statement.
David Geary, director of DMG Technical Ltd, completed the annual inspection in 2017 and did not identify any faulty switches or maintenance issues, the HSE said.
Hackett, Stevens and Geary admitted breaching health and safety regulations and received suspended prison sentences on May 7.
DMG Technical Ltd, which also admitted committing 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 with her children in what she hoped would be a safe environment.
‘As a result, she continues to suffer pain and significant impacts on her daily life.
‘Good health and safety management often requires multiple precautions to be taken, and often by different parties.
‘This incident demonstrates that there are serious consequences when we fail to fulfill our health and safety duties and rely 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 find some comfort in the sentence and see that justice has now been served.”
A statement from Ms Ali’s representative said: “Khadra Ali’s family is deeply relieved that the criminal proceedings have concluded following the tragic incident at the Funderpark fair.
‘They are grateful to everyone who has supported them during this challenging process.
‘While no outcome can undo the impact of life-changing injuries on Khadra’s health and well-being, they hope this marks the beginning of his journey to rebuild their lives and provide him with the support he needs to move forward.
‘The family remains committed to providing Khadra with the best quality of life possible.
“They respectfully request privacy as they continue to focus on caring for Khadra and facing the challenges ahead.”
At the court hearing, Stevens, of Berkshire, was given a 32-week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work and pay £11,444 in costs.
Hackett, of Manchester, was sentenced to 18 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to pay £4,800 costs.
Geary, of Hackney, was also given a 44-week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months and ordered to pay £24,000 costs.
