Richard Turnbull was using a forklift truck to stack packing cases when a 330lb load fell off and killed his only employee, 21-year-old Duncan Burden.

Mr Burden's role that day was to stand outside the warehouse in Bosham, West Sussex, to make sure nobody went inside as it could be dangerous.

But for an unknown reason Mr Burden himself went in and was killed by the falling load.

Turnbull immediately tried to resuscitate Mr Burden, but he was pronounced dead when paramedics arrived.

Health and Safety Executive investigators found Turnbull had been driving the forklift truck with the load too high and without adequate precautions.

Mr Burden had worked for First Exhibition Services, which supplies exhibition equipment, for two years.

Chichester Crown Court heard Turnbull treated him like a son and they even lived next door to each other in St Vincent Crescent, Horndean.

Turnbull, 53, who has four sons and was previously health and safety manager for Snell & Wilcox, sobbed through the court hearing yesterday and was described as a 'broken man'.

Dominic Kay, defending, said Mr Burden's family was left devastated, but added: 'I hope this court will accept that this case has had a devastating impact on Mr Turnbull too.

'He is exceptionally sorry and regrets as much as he possibly could what happened on that day.'

Turnbull had pleaded guilty to one count of neglect of safety at work, and First Exhibition Services pleaded guilty to the same charge.

First Exhibition Services was fined £14,000 and has to pay £11,000 court costs. Turnbull was given a 12-month conditional discharge.

Judge William Wood said: 'This is a tragic case in which a young employee doing his best to get on with his job, somebody who is described as sensible and reliable and who was obviously conscientious, lost his life.'