THE trial of three former Island Energy employees accused of the manslaughter of ten Islanders in the Haut du Mont explosion has begun in the Royal Court, with the prosecution claiming that the trio had carried out work on pipes supplying the flats “exceptionally badly”.
Neil Armstrong (58), John Wright (60) and Lee Ward (59) each deny ten counts of gross-negligence manslaughter arising from the December 2022 tragedy.
Jersey Gas, trading as Island Energy, also denies two alleged health-and-safety offences.
Opening the prosecution case today, Crown Advocate Simon Thomas alleged that gas escaped following work carried out by the three men on pipes supplying Haut du Mont the previous day.
He described that work as having been carried out “exceptionally badly” and told jurors that separate alleged failings by Island Energy meant the explosion was an “incident that was waiting to happen”.
The trial is expected to last around two months.
Find full coverage of the opening of the prosecution case in tomorrow’s JEP.
