THE heartbroken daughter of a construction foreman who was killed instantly when a crane crashed over in Liverpool last night claimed he had not received justice.

Cheryl Thornton, 28, spoke out as a crane company and driver were fined for their mistakes which led to the death of her father, Richard Mark Thornton, 46.

Mr Thornton, who was known as Mark, died instantly after being struck by a six-ton metal beam which fell after the crane tipped over at Wavertree Technology Park in 2007.

A Liverpool Crown Court judge yesterday said Mr Thornton’s death was “wholly avoidable” if all the appropriate steps were taken.

But Judge Nigel Gilmour, QC, said he was unable to impose an appropriate fine of £300,000 on crane company Bryn Thomas Crane Hire Ltd because it had now gone into administration with massive debts. He fined the firm just £4,500.

Crane driver Frederick Scott, of Flatt Lane, Ellesmere Port, was fined £2,500. The judge said inexperienced Scott, 46, was not trained properly and had shown a “high degree of incompetence”.

But he said he was unable to impose a higher fine because of Scott’s limited finances.