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Mechanics not guilty
Page 15
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TWO MECHANICS have been cleared of the manslaughter of a cyclist on the Isle of Man after a wheel came off a truck they had repaired.
Philip Firth and David Jones of Ramsey on the Isle of Man were employed by Island Drainage and Groundworks and had been charged with manslaughter due to gross negligence. Both had denied the charge.
On 29 December 2006, a wheel came off a truck and hit 13-yearold racing cyclist James Berry, who died from head injuries the following day. The two mechanics had replaced a cracked brake drum on the lorry, a 1992 Leyland Daf Constructor tipper truck, a few days before the accident.That had required them to remove and replace the wheel which later came loose on the road.
The court heard the charge of manslaughter was made on the basis that the work carried out by the mechanics was grossly negligent and the major factor in the cyclist's death. The two defendants both said they carried out the work to a good standard and were sure the vehicle was safe when it went out on the road. The jury took more than eight hours to reach a not-guilty verdict for both defendants