Neil Speakman, 39, had been on trial at Minshull Street Crown Court, accused of killing his son Albie by running him over with a farming vehicle on Saturday, July 16, 2022.
But a jury has now acquitted him of gross negligence manslaughter after a two-week trial.
Giving evidence earlier in the trial, Speakman said: “If I thought for a single second he wasn’t on that grass I wouldn’t have moved that stupid thing.”
He added: “If I knew my little boy had come off that grass then I wouldn’t have moved that stupid thing and I wouldn’t be stood here now doing this.”
The trial had heard from prosecutor John Elvidge KC that Speakman had run over Albie after allowing him to play on a small grass area on the farm.
Mr Elvidge told the jury that Albie had been left and able to wander into the area where Speakman had been using a telehandler, to put woodchips into a bag.
Once it became clear Albie was injured the court heard Speakman ran into the farmhouse telling his partner to call an ambulance.
But staff were unable to resuscitate Albie and he was taken to Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital where he was formally declared dead just after 2.30pm that afternoon.
Giving evidence when questioned by Alex Leach KC, defending, Speakman said that Albie had “loved” visiting him at the farm.
He also said that the telehandler had not been a “ramshackle old thing” and that he was “more than competent using it.”
Under cross examination Speakman said that Albie’s death had been a tragic accident.
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He said: “I shouldn’t have left him in the garden, we all know that, it showed a level of neglect.
“Was it truly neglectful behaviour? No, I messed up, I made a mistake.
“Is it truly exceptionally bad, neglectful behaviour? No.”
Speakman, of Bentley Hall Road, Tottington was found not guilty of gross negligence manslaughter by a jury of six men and six women.
But he had already pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
A pre-sentencing hearing has been set for February 28.
