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Hugo Boss Fined £1.2m Over Boy's Shop Death

Hugo Boss Fined £1.2m Over Boy's Shop Death

Hugo Boss has been fined £1.2m for health and safety breaches after the death of a four-year-old boy at one of its stores.

An 18-stone (114kg) changing room mirror, which had been balanced upright like a "domino piece", fell on Austen Harrison at the company's Bicester Village outlet in June 2013.

Austen was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford with severe head injuries, but died four days later after suffering irreversible brain damage.

An inquest concluded the 7ft mirror should have been fixed to a wall, with coroner Darren Salter describing it as "an accident waiting to happen".

The designer goods retailer admitted breaches of health and safety laws.

In sentencing the company, Oxford Crown Court Judge Peter Ross said Hugo Boss had a "corporate responsibility" - and he wanted to ensure the issue went to the "very top of the company".

He said it "would have been obvious to the untrained eye" that the mirror posed a risk, adding that it was "nothing short of a miracle" that it had not happened sooner.

There had been numerous "near misses" with mirrors at other stores nationwide, the judge added.

After several mirrors fell at stores in London during 2009, the company's senior staff and store managers had been given health and safety training which specifically highlighted this issue.

But according to the judge, the company's Bicester Village store was hurriedly opened in 2012, which led to "a lack of planning" - and instructions for the mirror were "ill-defined and not followed through".

Following the sentencing, a representative for the boy's mother read a statement on her behalf.

"I would like to thank the coroner, Judge Ross and Mr Hake of Hugo Boss for their sensitivity and genuine care," it said.

"Austen's greatest pleasure in life was to help others. In his memory I invite you to help someone, no matter how small or large the deed, to assist Austen in creating a friendlier world.

"My love extends to each one of you for doing this."

At the time of the incident, Hugo Boss released a statement promising to co-operate with authorities as they investigated what happened.

After the ruling, a spokesman said: "The company has since done everything it can to prevent such a tragedy from reoccurring. We wish to make clear that health and safety is an integral part of our business, and a priority at every level of the organisation.

"Over the last two years, our thoughts and sympathies have been first and foremost with Austen's parents.

"We know, however, that there are no words to alleviate in any way the suffering caused to the family, and for that we remain profoundly sorry."

The judge acknowledged that Hugo Boss UK had taken immediate responsibility for the accident which claimed Austen's life, but concluded there had been a systematic failure with regarc to health and safety.