THE devastated mother of a young father who died at work near Ramsbottom said no sentence does justice to an 'irreplaceable life'.

Janet Edge spoke out after three company bosses were jailed over health and safety breaches that led to the death of Benjamin Edge at Fletcher Bank Quarry in Shuttleworth.

MORE TOP STORIES:

Christopher, 25, and James Brown, 32, owners of SR and RJ Brown, were each imprisoned for 20 months for failing to ensure Mr Edge’s safety at work and then trying to cover up their shortcomings, perverting the course of justice.

Mark Aspin, owner of contractor MA Excavations, was jailed for 12 months to ensure work was planned safely, and exposing workers to risk.

Manchester Crown Court heard Mr Edge, 25, slipped and fell to his death in torrid weather conditions.

SR and RJ Brown has been fined £300,000 having pleaded guilty to corporate manslaughter, and MA Excavations was fined £150,000 for exposing workers to risk.

Speaking outside court after sentencing, Mrs Edge, said: “The sentence given to those responsible for Ben’s death and for their abhorrent actions bears nothing compared to the life sentence my family and I began on December 10 2014, nor does it do justice to an irreplaceable life – one that would have made a difference in this world.

“Why Ben was on that roof in the most appalling weather conditions seen for a long time we will never know. He was a qualified land-based agricultural engineer and was not qualified to work on that structure.”

The Brown brothers attempted to cover up what was a 'gross dereliction' of their duty as employers, according to Mr Justice Peter Openshaw.

They then colluded in creating backdated health and safety checks during the afternoon after Mr Edge fell, and ordered another worker, Peter Heap, 33, to fetch lanyards and harnesses to make it look like Mr Edge had been provided with the correct equipment and chosen not to use it. Heap was jailed for four months for carrying out those orders.

Mrs Edge condemned those involved for 'betraying' Ben as 'their sole interest was self-preservation'.

Mr Justice Openshaw said: “It was a ridiculous attempt to carry out a job for which they were not capable of.”