Two brothers have been convicted after a man was crushed to death at a glass factory on an industrial estate in Birmingham. Ako Azizpour, 27, had been attempting to unload crates of glass from a container when he became trapped at UK Superior Glass in Erdington. Emergency services responded to reports of an industrial accident, but despite urgent efforts to free him, he was pronounced dead at the scene on February 8, 2024.
Convictions and Sentencing
Nashwan Amin, 29, of Garrard Gardens, Sutton Coldfield, has been found guilty of gross negligence manslaughter. He previously pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice. His brother, Razwan Amin, 27, of Wildmoor Close, Birmingham, had previously pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice. Nashwan Amin was remanded into custody and is due to be sentenced on September 17.
Investigation Findings
West Midlands Police launched a thorough investigation alongside the Health and Safety Executive. Detectives found evidence that Nashwan Amin was targeting people locally who were seeking asylum and recruiting them to work for him as a cheap form of labour. An inspection of the premises found no documentation relating to employees or health and safety, and little evidence of training.
The glass that had been delivered had a total weight of more than 24,000 kilograms and was shipped in 11 separate crates, each weighing over two tonnes. They should have been unloaded by a crane or specialised forklift, but the business owner had neither, police said.
Preventable Death
Police found evidence that suggested Nashwan Amin knew a crane or forklift would be required to lift the glass but had made no arrangements for either. A further report from HSE stated that specialised equipment would have been needed to unload it, and the risk of death within the danger zone around the crates was highly foreseeable.
Det Chief Inspector 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.”
Throughout the investigation and subsequent legal process, Mr Azizpour’s family have been supported by specialist officers. In a statement released last year, they said it was still difficult to believe they had lost their son, and they demanded justice over his death.
