Gary Green drank equivalent of 13 pints of beer night before death of Harry Whitlam, 11, on farm near Leeds, court heard

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

A tractor driver who drank the estimated equivalent of 13 pints of beer the night before he ran over and killed an 11-year-old boy on a farm has been jailed for more than a year.

Gary Green, 51, was sentenced to 16 months and two weeks in prison at Leeds crown court for health and safety violations that contributed to the death of Harry Whitlam at a farm near the city.

Green was more than twice the legal driving limit when the incident happened in August 2013.

He claimed he had drunk four pints in the pub the night before, followed by two cans at home.

But an expert told the court that Green must have consumed the equivalent of 13 pints of beer before going to bed at 2am.



Green was prosecuted under health and safety rather than road traffic law as he was on private land at the time of Harry’s death.

The boy’s mother, Pam Whitlam, said: “It is not OK for anyone, whether on a public road or private land, to be drunk and get behind the wheel of a vehicle.

“My hope today, now the court process is complete, is that Harry’s life becomes more than one day and as a family we can again remember the good times we shared.”



She added: “The day we lost Harry our close-knit family was changed forever.

We all miss him dearly and it has not got easier with time but harder.

“Harry was my youngest son, a much-loved brother, grandson, nephew and cousin.



“The only memories I currently have of Harry are from the day of the accident but his life was so much more.”