Wilko has been fined £2.2 million following a workplace incident which left an employee paralysed.
Leicester Crown Court ruled that the retailer, which pleaded guilty to four offences under the Health and Safety at Work Act, must pay a fine of over £2 million and a further £70,835 in costs.
Part-time store worker Corisande Collins was left wheelchair bound after a cage filled with paint pots fell on her in August 2013.
Judge Ebraham Mooncey said the cage in the incident was top-heavy, containing 87.5 litres of paint stored at top level, against the 55 litres on the bottom level.
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He added: “The practical realities were essentially that heavily and unevenly laden cages were being manoeuvred around, sometimes unnecessarily, with items not even required on the shop floor.
“The risks were clear.”
Speaking to Collins and her family, Mooncey stated: “I recognise that clearly the impact on your lives and that of your family is truly huge.
“One can only hope that the suffering is reduced to as much as it can be and your courage in coping with your everyday lives remains steadfast.”
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