A company director has gone on trial for the alleged manslaughter of a 38-year-old employee.

Martin Simmons died 15 days after his arm became trapped by a conveyor belt on 20 February 2019, crushing an artery to his neck and causing brain damage.

Kyle Gettings, 35, of Marten Road, Chepstow, pleaded not guilty to unlawfully killing Mr Simmons by gross negligence.

The trial at Gloucester Crown Court is expected to last three weeks.

Mr Gettings admitted to the court between January 1, 2019 and February 21, 2019 he failed to discharge his duty in ensuring the health and safety of his employees while working with machinery during the process of shredding tyres.

He was the director of Capital Metals Ltd, a now liquidated company that was trading at the New Dunn Business Park, in Sling, Gloucestershire.

Prosecutor Philip Stott told the jury Mr Simmons was both loading tyres onto the conveyor belt at the beginning of the shredding process and overseeing the shredded tyres as it left the machine on the second conveyor belt.

"The machinery didn't have any guard rail protection on one conveyor belt. This is neglect as anybody could easily become trapped within its workings," said Mr Stott.

The court was told a new tyre shredder was set-up and wired in by outside electricians. However, Mr Gettings didn't have the machine's operating manual and had turned to Google to set the machine up.

"Due to an incorrect set-up of the shredder itself, a chute leading from the machine towards the second conveyor belt would frequently get blocked which then had to be freed up by the workers."

It was alleged the employees did not turn off the machinery when clearing it of debris and freeing up the jammed conveyor belt, despite being trained to do so by Mr Gettings.

The court was told, the shredding machine had become jammed on February 20, 2019.

Mr Simmons was under the chute pulling out the tyres and was crouching down towards the conveyor belt while it was still moving, and his right arm got stuck inside the roller, Mr Stott added.

Mr Simmons' colleagues used disc cutters to free him from the machinery as the first ambulance crew arrived, after being told to do so by a paramedic on the phone.

But despite medical intervention, he died in hospital on 6 March 2019.

Follow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk

HM Courts & Tribunals Service

Mums hit out at suspension of post-natal care at maternity hospital

Changes at cemetery car park after antisocial behaviour

Police carry out speed checks after teens die in Tait’s Hill crash

Closure in Elm Road, Stonehouse due to carriageway resurfacing

Cirencester and South Cerney flood victims have their say at meeting with Thames Water

Tributes to much-loved and award-winning Cirencester pub landlord

Democrats retract call for Biden U-turn on Ukraine

Sunak appoints new team after becoming UK PM

Politics increasingly a red flag on US dating scene

Why is Kim Jong-un upping the pressure?

The man who ran across Australia in 47 days. Video The man who ran across Australia in 47 days

Why the COP27 climate summit matters for the planet

Politics increasingly a red flag on US dating scene

Iraqi tourists provide unlikely boost for Lebanon

If the US was more like Switzerland...

Corruption, Covid and cannibalism in Brazil's election

The baby disease that remains a mystery

'I feel less alone since the pandemic'

The most disgusting films ever made

How job insecurity affects your health

The word Tolkien coined for hope

© 2022 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.