Mark Balysz has secured back to back acquittals in Norwich and the Old Bailey
On 24th August Metroline Travel Limited, a London Bus operator, was found not guilty by a jury at the Central Criminal Court, after an 11 day trial. The Company had been accused of breaching section 3 of the Health and Safety At work Etc. Act 1974, when an employee of the co-defendant cleaning contractor was crushed between two buses. This trial followed on from the acquittal by jury of C.E. Davidson Limited at Norwich Crown Court on 22nd July. The Company had been charged with breach of section 2 of the same Act, after a farm building the Company was demolishing collapsed onto an employee. Defences in both cases were Nelson Group / HTM – the accidents had occurred due to the failure of employees to follow established procedures and that post accident improvements were not evidence of pre-accident failures.
