A gas expert has told a court that an explosion at a block of flats, which resulted in ten fatalities, would not have occurred if a test for leaking gas had been carried out. Chris Clarke is giving evidence in the trial of gas workers Neil Armstrong, John Wright, and Lee Ward, who deny 10 counts of gross negligence manslaughter.
Island Energy has pleaded not guilty to health and safety breaches in a combined case. The workers were excavating gas pipes on 9 December 2022, the day before the explosion at the Haut du Mont flats.
Mr Clarke told the court that Island Energy's instructions for cutting a gas pipe were "very straightforward to follow" and "perfectly adequate", adding, "I think its clear that those procedures weren't followed." He also stated that the excavation site's hole, which provided access to the pipes, was not large enough for required "bagging off" procedures.
The residents who died in the explosion were Peter Bowler, Billy Marsden, Derek Ellis, Sylvia Ellis, Ken Ralph, Jane Ralph, Romeu De Almeida, Louise De Almeida, Raymond Brown, and Kathy McGinness.