Bosses should have stopped gas work, trial told

Senior managers at an energy company should have stepped in to stop work to reconnect gas supplies to a block of flats before a fatal explosion, a trial has heard.

Ten people were killed after the explosion at Haut du Mont flats in Jersey on Saturday 10 December 2022.

Gas workers Neil Armstrong, John Wright and Lee Ward, deny 10 counts of gross negligence manslaughter while Island Energy has pleaded not guilty in a combined health and safety case.

Giving evidence in the trial of Island Energy, gas expert Martin Wayland told the Royal Court he would have expected senior managers to have put off restoring supplies to look into an issue that occurred during work.

The workers were cutting off supply to the flats the day before the explosion but accidentally cut off gas to other properties at La Collette, the court heard.

Wayland told the jury: "People should have stepped back and had a consideration of what had gone on that day and the reasons why.

"Then you'd be looking at investigating the extent of the issue and looking to plan."

On gas supplies being reinstated, he said: "I would have suggested that didn't need to happen until the Monday."

Earlier in the trial the prosecution said Island Energy's own policy stated work should not take place on a Friday or bank holiday to ensure there would be another working day to address any issues if anything unexpected occurred.

Wayland agreed if Island Energy's procedures had been followed the fatal explosion at Haut du Mont flats would have been averted.

The residents who died were Peter Bowler, 72, Billy Marsden, 62, Derek Ellis, 61, Sylvia Ellis, 73, Ken Ralph, 72, Jane Ralph, 71, Romeu De Almeida, 67, Louise De Almeida, 64, Raymond Brown, 71, and Kathy McGinness, 73.

Wayland agreed work done on gas pipes the day before the explosion was not done to the company's standards in response to questions from Island Energy defence lawyer Advocate Mike Preston.

However, the court also heard staff could have been following conflicting procedures for the safe operation of gas pipes.

Wayland told the jury the gas company appeared to be using two sets of procedures from both 1997 and 2005, with both documents having different instructions on how to carry out a test for leaking gas pipes.

He said, as far as he could tell, both documents were still available to staff.

The trial continues.

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