GAS leaks were so common on Jersey’s ageing network that a contractor working at the site linked to the Haut du Mont explosion was not concerned when he smelled gas, a jury heard yesterday.
Giving evidence yesterday at the Royal Court’s temporary Jubilee Wharf courtroom, Sergio De Oliveira told jurors there was “leakage everywhere” and said the majority of jobs he worked on involved some form of leak because “the pipework is destroyed” and “about 100 years old”.
The contractor, who helped dig down to gas pipes near Commercial Buildings in the days before the blast, also described Neil Armstrong and John Wright – two of the three gas workers accused of gross-negligence manslaughter – as “professional and capable”.
Neil Armstrong (58), John Wright (60) and Lee Ward (59) are accused of unlawfully killing the ten victims of the Haut du Mont explosion on 10 December 2022. The three men, who all worked in the network operations team at Island Energy at the time of the blast, each deny ten counts of gross negligence manslaughter – one for each of those who died following the blast.
Jersey Gas, which trades as Island Energy, also denies two alleged breaches of the Health and Safety at Work (Jersey) Law 1989.
Mr De Oliveira was the first witness called after jurors spent three days hearing the Crown outline its case over the explosion which killed ten people shortly before 4am on 10 December 2022.
Crown Advocate Simon Thomas, prosecuting, has alleged that a “series of mistakes” by Mr Armstrong, Mr Wright and Lee Ward the previous day culminated in gas escaping from an open valve at the rear of the flats.
Jurors have been told that the wrong pipe was cut before the gas supply was restored without a pressure test, which the prosecution said would have revealed the open valve.
Advocate Thomas has also set out long-running “systemic failings” in how Island Energy trained, supervised and checked its staff – arguing that a lack of controls and up-to-date safety procedures meant “corners were cut and health and safety was ignored”.
Mr De Oliveira worked for contractor Geomarine and was joined on the job by colleague Michael Thompson, who also gave evidence yesterday.
Their role was to dig down to the gas pipes near Commercial Buildings so Island Energy could carry out work to cut off the supply leading towards Haut du Mont.
Mr Thompson said that once enough of the pipes had been uncovered, the contractors left the site while the gas workers carried out their work.
They later returned and began filling the hole back in, believing the job was finished.
But they were told to stop after the Yacht Club unexpectedly lost its gas supply and were instructed to dig the site back up.
Mr De Oliveira described having to reopen the excavation as “very unusual”.
The prosecution has argued that the unexpected loss of gas was a warning that something had gone wrong and that work should have stopped while the cause was investigated.
Instead, Advocate Thomas alleged, the work continued, and the supply was eventually restored without a pressure test which would have revealed the open valve.
Under questioning from Advocate Rui Tremoceiro, representing Mr Armstrong, Mr De Oliveira was asked whether he had smelled gas while carrying out the work.
“I think I did actually,” he replied.
But he said smelling gas was common when working on the network and that he was not concerned.
Mr De Oliveira also described Mr Armstrong and Mr Wright as “professional and capable”.
All four defendants deny the charges.
