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Bus company is fined after driver's death
EASTBOURNE Buses has been fined £100,000 and its former boss fined £5,000 for the death of a driver who was crushed at an Eastbourne bus depot.
Judge Paul Tain told Stephen Barnett and the bus company that they were behind the times and had not caught up with health and safety matters.
Roy Trundell was crushed between two buses when one vehicle reversed at the depot in Birch Road in September 2006.
He died in hospital from his injuries.
Judge Tain said, "Whilst the company was in no sense putting profit before safety, it was as if in this era, they hadn't caught up with health and safety matters."
Mr Barnett had denied failing to ensure the health and safety of staff working for him at the time but was convicted by a jury after a two-week trial at Brighton Crown Court.
Eastbourne Buses, which was bought out by Stagecoach at the end of last year, also denied the charge but changed its plea to guilty during the trial.
Barnett said he had been profoundly affected by Mr Trundell's death but that he had delegated responsibility for risk assessment and daily health and safety to his managers.
He also told the jury, "A man should not come to work to die. The fact that this happened while I was managing director is of great concern to me."
Ben Jones was the driver of the bus that reversed into Mr Trundell.
Andrew Christian, a health and safety inspector, told the jury a decision had been taken not to prosecute Mr Jones.
Mary Trundell, who was in court with her son Nicholas and daughter Caroline Hart as the sentences were read out, said, "It has taken three years to get this far. Roy had been a driver for 37 years and he knew how to keep safe.
"We got out of this case that our husband and Dad was not to blame at all."
Barnett was also ordered to pay 5,000 court costs and Eastbourne Buses must also pay 135,000 court costs.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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