Facts
A four-year-old child was killed by a wheel on colliery land. Children often played there, and the owners knew this and had warned them off.
Issue
What duty is owed to a ?
Held
The owners were not liable. The child was a trespasser.
Principle
At common law an occupier owed a trespasser no , only a duty not to injure him deliberately or recklessly.
Why it matters
The strict old rule on trespassers. Softened by British Railways Board v Herrington.
Cited in these chapters
Cite this page
Robert Addie & Sons (Collieries) Ltd v Dumbreck [1929] AC 358 (Lanbuk) <https://www.lanbuk.com/llb/torts/cases/addie-v-dumbreck> accessed 31 October 2026
The accessed date is today's date. Check your course or publisher's style guide.
This summary is a Lanbuk study aid based on the generally known facts and reports of the case. It is not legal advice.