"This tragic incident was foreseeable and preventable. The risk posed by cattle escaping from the livestock mart should have been identified, and effective control measures implemented."
An auctioneers in Wales has been fined more than £70,000 after a man was killed by a cow.
The Health and Safety Executive said 75 year-old Huw Evans was attacked by a cow on November 19 2022 which had managed to escape from a livestock market run by J.J. Morris Ltd in the Whitland areas of Carmarthenshire.
At the time, the cow was being unloaded from a pen at Whitland Livestock Market before it made a break for Whitland.
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Mr Evans had been crossing a junction at North Road and West Street before he was knocked down and trampled by a cow, according to HSE.
He suffered multiples injuries and was flown to the University Hospital of Wales, where he died six days later on November 25.
In the attempts to capture the cow, a worker from J.J Morris was also injured.
Before heading to Whitland Rugby Club and a railway line, the animal was eventually captured and put down by Dyfed Powys Police.
An investigation by HSE found the livestock market had failed to implement 'basic and physical control measures' to prevent cattle from escaping, while the company's risk assessment was 'not suitable nor sufficient' as it referenced control measures that were not present at the market.
Following a prosecution which was brought forward by HSE enforcement lawyer Rebecca Schwartz and HSE paralegal officer Imogen Isaac, J.J. Morris had pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety legislation.
Appearing at Llanelli Magistrates' Court on June 20 2024, the auctioneer was fined £75,000 and ordered to pay £5,047.55 in court costs.
In a victim personal statement read in court, Dafydd Evans, Mr Evans' son, said: "Dad was my best friend and I miss him terribly, he was taken from us too soon.
"Losing dad has had a tremendous effect on both myself and my brother.
"Because of this incident, dad's grandsons will never fully know him personally and he will not see them grow up."
HSE inspector Rhys Hughes said J.J Morris should have identified the risks posed by cattle escaping from livestock markets and it should have implemented precautions to combat the challenge of this.
He added: "This tragic incident was foreseeable and preventable.
"The risk posed by cattle escaping from the livestock mart should have been identified, and effective control measures implemented.
"The case highlights the importance of following industry guidance, which is readily accessible and outlines the requirements to safely manage cattle."
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