A COMPANY boss has been unanimously acquitted him of killing an employee through gross negligence at the headquarters of Hampshire County Cricket Club.

Ian Gould was cleared by the seven-man and five-woman jury of the manslaughter of Philip Carsley at the Ageas Bowl in February 2010.

The trial heard that Mr Carsley, 34, died on his first day at work for Prefix which was helping to contract the cricket ground at West End near Southampton.

The prosecution alleged that Mr Gould, 53, director of Prefix, of Eastrington, Yorkshire, was grossly negligent by not securing concrete walls with L-shaped brackets. A header wall which would have stabilised the others was not in place because the bolt holes were out of line.

Two walls, each weighing three tonnes, toppled onto Mr Carsley and he died at the scene despite desperate efforts to save him.

the jury this afternoon took four hours and ten minutes to acquit him of manslaughter and also of a breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act.

A third charge which was lying on file was also dropped after the prosecutor Gareth Patterson said fairness dictated such action.

Another defendant, Andrew Scott Ltd, another contractor, was acquitted on the orders of Judge Cutler of two breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act at the close of the prosecution case.