New inquest plea fails
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• A father who believes carelessness may have played a part in the death of his son in a lorry accident two years ago, has failed in a High Court bid to force a fresh inquest.
Andrew Potter, 25, died after he was crushed by a reversing 30-tonne lorry on the Fazeley by-pass construction site. He was working as a "ganger" for Alfred McAlpine.
His father, David Potter, challenged the Staffordshire coroner's handling of his son's inquest, which returned a verdict of death by misadventure.
But Mr Justice Harrison said that, although he had "every sympathy" for Potter, he did not believe the verdict would be any different if a new inquest was called. Leslie Thomas, for Potter, said the coroner should have called an eyewitness to the accident, Louis Mullan, who did not appear at the inquest.
But Mr Justice Harrison said that he did not believe that Mullan's evidence would have led to the inquest jury reaching a different conclusion.
Potter had his judicial review challenge dismissed.