A funfair owner has been jailed for six months after a three-year-old was killed by being flung 40 feet into the air.
Ava-May Littleboy was thrown the “height of a house” as she played with her aunt Abbie on Gorleston beach in Norfolk on June 1, 2018.
The toddler’s parents watched on in horror as the blast flipped Ava-May five or six times.
Ava-May suffered a fatal head injury after hitting the ground.
Nathan Rowe (left) and Chloe Littleboy leave after the inquest into the death of their daughter Ava-May Littleboy,
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Great Yarmouth Borough Council’s Pascal Bates, which brought the prosecution alongside the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), described how the three-year-old sadly died of her injuries.
Bouncy castle owner Curt Johnson, 52, who appeared before Chelmsford Magistrates' Court, was described as being “willfully blind to the risk”.
District judge Christopher Williams also warned the inflatable “should not have been in use”.
He said: “This is a case that's of such seriousness that I have to conclude a deterrent sentence is necessary.”
Williams added: “I reflect on the suffering and anguish the family have been through.
“Ultimately a child unnecessarily lost their life because of failures on your part to ensure you had appropriate risk assessments in place.”
Prosecutor Mr Bates said that a nine-year-old child, who had also been on the trampoline, suffered “no significant injuries”.
Ava-May´s parents, Nathan Rowe and Chloe Littleboy, hugged after the sentence was passed.
A police cordon at Gorleston beach in Norfolk, where Ava-May Littleboy was thrown from a bouncy castle
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Johnson, who was also disqualified from being a company director for five years, showed no reaction as he was led to the cells.
Johnsons Funfair Ltd, based on Swanston's Road in Great Yarmouth, was issued with a £20,000 fine.
He awarded the full costs to the council and HSE, estimated at almost £300,000.
Chelmsford Magistrates' Court was previously told that Johnson had an insurance policy in place that would cover this.
The 52-year-old and his company entered guilty pleas to two health and safety offences at an earlier hearing.
They also admitted to importing an inflatable trampoline that was not safe.
Mr Bates said the inflatable trampoline was a “sealed unit” but “had no safety valve to release pressure”.
He explained that a user's manual “was never supplied or sought prior to the explosion”.
Curt Johnson of Johnsons Funfair Ltd arrives for the inquest into the death of Ava-May LittleboyPAOliver Campbell KC, defending Johnson, claimed his client and his wife “deeply regret” the incident and Ava-May's “tragic death”.
He also described the explosion as “unforeseeable”, confirmed Johnson’s company ceased trading after the incident and explained how the 52-year-old subsequently tried to kill himself in 2018.
Responding to the sentence, Ava-May’s father said it was the “right decision” and meant a “massive weight lifted from our shoulders”.
HSE principal inspector Ivan Brooke said: “The operator flouted the rules on certification and testing to devastating consequences.
“Had the company carried out the required checks and followed the freely available, well-established guidance, this tragedy would not have happened.
“Since the tragedy, and following the inquest, we published supplementary guidance more specific to sealed inflatables.
“They should be checked over by the responsible body before they are used, and maintained effectively throughout.
“Incidents with inflatables are extremely rare, but we will not hesitate to take strong action if funfairs do not take the required precautions.”
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