A Team GB high jumper has paid tribute to her brother who was crushed to death under a machine.

Emily Borthwick, an Olympian who completed in Tokyo 2021, said her brother Connor was an amazing, caring, loving and funny little brother’

Connor Borthwick, 22, was killed while working for Partwell Special Steels in Blackburn on November 2021.

A court heard that when he and another employee moved a large cutting press machine across the workshop floor, using skates placed underneath.

The machine became unbalanced and fell, resulting in Connor being fatally crushed.

The firm was fined £86,000 earlier this week.

Emily Borthwick pictured in 2021 shortly before her brother Connor's tragic death

placeholder image — Emily Borthwick pictured in 2021 shortly before her brother Connor's tragic death

Emily added: “Everyone loved Connor.

“He was a good soul, and this was evident from the more than 700 people who came to his funeral to pay their respects and share their personal accounts of how Connor had touched their lives.

“He was 22, life hadn’t begun for him, and it was over.

“Some simple steps should have been taken and weren’t, if they were Connor would be with us today.

“It’s hard to explain to people what we have been through, are going through.

“We don’t want another family to go through what we have.”

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found that Partwell had not undertaken a risk assessment for moving the cutting press machine across the workshop, and that no safe system of work had been provided to employees.

Investigators also found that neither employee had been given suitable and sufficient training to ensure they had the relevant competence to carry out the task.

A suitable assessment would have shown that the skates used to move the machine were unsuitable for the work, the regulator said.

Partwell pleaded guilty to breaching regulation 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

It was fined £80,000 and was ordered to pay £6,713 in costs at a hearing at Preston Magistrates Court on Monday, December 16, 2024.

HSE Inspector Anthony Banks said: “This company’s failures resulted in the death of a much loved young man.

“Those in control of work activities, including the movement of heavy machinery from one part of a site to another, need to assess the risks of that work, and plan a safe way to undertake it.

“This tragic incident could have easily been avoided with the right controls in place.

“My thoughts remain with Connor’s family.”

Partwell has been approached for comment.