Brothers convicted after industrial worker's death

Two brothers have been convicted after the death of a 27-year-old worker who was crushed while unloading more than 24 tonnes of glass at an industrial premises in Birmingham.

Ako Azizpour died after getting trapped while unloading crates of glass at UK Superior Glass on Tyburn Road, Erdington, on 8 February 2024.

At Birmingham Crown Court, company owner Nashwan Amin, 29, of Farrard Gardens, was found guilty of manslaughter and perverting the course of justice.

His brother, Razwan Amin, 27, of Wildmoor Close, had previously admitted perverting the course of justice.

Both men are due to be sentenced on 17 September. Nashwan Amin was remanded in custody.

According to West Midlands Police, emergency services had attempted to free Azizpour, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

A joint investigation by the force and the Health and Safety Executive found the business had no crane or specialist forklift to unload the shipment, despite evidence suggesting Nashwan Amin knew it would be required. An inspection found no employee or health and safety documentation and little evidence of staff training.

The investigation also found evidence that he had recruited people seeking asylum locally to work for him as a cheap source of labour.

Police said Nashwan Amin, who was registered as having significant control of the business, initially gave officers a "wholly inaccurate" account of the incident.

Det Ch Insp Daniel Jarratt, who led the investigation, said: "This has been a complex investigation throughout which our thoughts have remained with Mr Azizpour's family.

"We worked closely with the Health and Safety Executive, and we were able to find out what happened that day – and demonstrate that ultimately Mr Azizpour's death could have been prevented.

"We were committed to bringing the pair to justice, and employers must be reminded to uphold their duty of care, especially where lives are lost due to preventable negligence."

In a previous statement Azizpour's parents, who are from Iran, said they found it difficult to believe they had lost their son.

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