23.04.2015

10 years to prosecute

There will be at least another year’s delay before the HSE begins prosecuting a company and its owner for the fatal Battersea tower crane collapse in 2006 because of lack of Crown Court capacity in London.

The case involving Falcon Crane Hire Ltd and Doug Genge for alleged failings with maintenance and overloading of the crane has now been put back to September 2016. Crane operator Jonathon Cloke and local resident Michael Alexa were both killed in the incident, after the crane’s slew ring gave way causing it to fall into the site and the street below. The HSE had already taken nine years to prosecute. see:Nine years to prosecute.

“A ten years delay in a trial over the deaths of two people is an outrage and should not be happening due to cutbacks of Ministry of Justice budgets and is completely unacceptable,” said general trade union GMB.

The defendants will formally arraigned at a hearing in Southwark Crown Court at the end of May 2015. This follows an earlier directions hearing at Southwark Crown Court which took place on 12th March 2015.

On 25th February a first appearance took place at Westminster Magistrates Court where Falcon Crane Hire Ltd and Doug Genge were to be charged with Health &Safety at Work Act (HSWA) breaches after HSE identified alleged failings with maintenance and overloading of the crane. The Magistrates Court moved the case to be heard in the Crown Court.