Gelt Gladiator boss admits errors after five injured

Image caption, Daniel James admitted two health and safety breaches

The boss of an obstacle course where five people were seriously injured has been given a suspended jail term.

One woman suffered a "life-changing" fractured neck during the inaugural Gelt Gladiator in May 2015, while a man broke his collarbone.

Carlisle Crown Court heard water pits at two obstacles at the Brampton course were too shallow.

Director Mike James, 42, admitted being responsible for a "catalogue" of errors.

Three other people broke or dislocated lower limbs on the Mud Bomb and Avalanche 2 obstacles, the court heard.

'Appalling'

On Avalanche 2, two of the casualties were hurt after plunging head-first down a slide into too-shallow water.

Low water depth was also a key factor at Mud Bomb which, the court heard, remained open hours after the first incident and was the scene of two more injuries.

The court was told how major safety changes have been made at the venue and there had been no recorded injuries or incidents at the 2016 or 2017 events.

James, of Knowe Road, Stanwix, Carlisle was given a 10-month jail term suspended for two years after admitting two health and safety breaches.

He was also ordered to complete 250 hours unpaid work, observe a 15-week night-time curfew and pay 拢20,000 costs.

Judge Peter Hughes QC told him: "It is an appalling catalogue of injury that proper planning and careful supervision on the day should have prevented."