'No price can be put on a human life' says judge
The directors of Butcher's Pet Care have already pleaded guilty to the company breaching health and safety arising from Mr O'Connor's death and are still due to receive a substantial fine.
Thompson was ordered to pay a 10,000 fine with 4,000 towards the prosecution's 44,000 costs for failing to put safeguards in place to prevent the tragedy.
Judge Richard Bray said his maximum powers for health and safety offences was an unlimited fine.
He added: "I am aware no sentence of mine will be thought appropriate to those closely involved in this case. No price can be put on a human life."
Passing sentence, he added: "You described yourself as being hands-on – that's to say spending time on the shop floor.
"You should have been aware employees were entering the machine in a most dangerous way and putting lives at risk.
"It's amazing to me a tragic accident did not happen sooner.
"The breach had been going on for some several years and measures to prevent that breach would have been cheap and simple to implement."
John Cooper, for Thompson, indicated he might appeal against the size of the 10,000 fine and costs.
In mitigation, he said his client would have pleaded guilty to the lesser charge, that he had now been sentenced for, more than five years ago, had the prosecution charged him with it.
"He accepts he did play a role in the factory's management and did try to improve health and safety standards at Butcher's Pet Care.
"He made sure it was given a priority.
"Other directors did not have the misfortune to have the health and safety label attached to them."
Known to colleagues as Rippo, Mr O'Connor had worked at the company for seven years and lived in Pine Grove, Rugby, with his wife, Jayne, and their two children.
Speaking to the Chron in 2007, his father Bryant Rippin, said: "I think the company has come out of it really lightly.
"I think they should have taken a bit of blame."
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