Firms admit health and safety offences after deaths of pest controllers
Neil Moon from Spalding and Jonathan Collins from Norfolk died at Banham Poultry in Attleborough in 2018.
Last updated 25th Feb 2026
Two companies have admitted health and safety offences following the deaths of two pest controllers at a chicken factory more than seven years ago.
The bodies of Neil Moon, 49, from Spalding and 34-year-old Jonathan Collins from Norfolk were discovered at Banham Poultry in Attleborough, Norfolk, in October 2018.
Banham Poultry Limited and Air Products plc were due to stand trial at Norwich Crown Court charged with corporate manslaughter.
But before a jury was put in charge of the case on Wednesday, the companies pleaded guilty to health and safety offences and prosecutors deemed these pleas acceptable.
Craig Hassall KC, prosecuting, said the guilty pleas to the health and safety offences were on the basis that the "breaches were causative of the deaths of Mr Moon and Mr Collins".
He said that at the point of sentence he would offer no evidence in respect of the corporate manslaughter charges and invite the judge, Mrs Justice Judith Farbey, to formally record verdicts of not guilty to the corporate manslaughter charges.
The companies are due to be sentenced at a two-day hearing from March 31.
Barrister Shauna Ritchie, representing Banham Poultry Limited, entered guilty pleas on behalf of the company to two counts of failing to discharge a duty under the Health And Safety at Work Act 1974.
Barrister Simon Antrobus KC, for Air Products plc, entered a guilty plea on behalf of the company to one count of failing to discharge a duty under the Health And Safety at Work Act 1974.
The legal representatives for the companies each entered pleas of not guilty to two charges of corporate manslaughter in respect of Mr Moon and Mr Collins.
Mr Hassall said that the "decision to accept these pleas... was made by the Crown Prosecution Service".
He said the decision had been made "following consultation with the family", Norfolk Police and the relevant division of the CPS.
No details about the case were opened at Wednesday's hearing.
Norfolk Police said at the time of the incident that a possible refrigeration gas leak was being investigated as a line of inquiry.
Mr Moon and Mr Collins, who were found at about 1.10am on October 4 2018, had been working at the Station Road site as pest control subcontractors.