A golf company director has been jailed today (10 July) after a ball collector drowned in a lake on a Welsh course.
Father-of-one Gareth Pugh, 29, died on 11 February 2016 while collecting golf balls at Peterstone Lake Golf Course near Newport.
Dale Pike, of Boss Golf Balls, pleaded guilty to manslaughter by gross negligence at Cardiff Crown Court in May and was sentenced to 32 months in prison today.
The court heard how Pike had agreed to pay Gareth to retrieve balls from the lake but the measures in place to ensure his safety were inadequate.
Iwan Jenkins, from the CPS, said:
“Dale Pike stood by and watched as Gareth entered the water knowing that safety regulations were being breached and which resulted in Gareth losing his life.
“There was clear evidence Pike had made enquiries with legitimate dive operators to cost this activity but he chose not to use them, instead falsely claiming to the golf club that he was a qualified commercial diver with his own equipment.
“Our thoughts are with Gareth’s family and friends and we thank them for their support throughout the legal process.”
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Notes to editors
- Iwan Jenkins is Head of the Complex Casework Unit for CPS Wales
