'I wasn't on mobile' - driver who killed pal

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A lorry driver who reversed his truck and crushed his friend and colleague to death at a Royal Mail depot has been accused of being distracted by his mobile phone, a court heard.

Ian Wheeler, 58, of Market Street, Bracknell, denied failing to ensure the safety of staff at the Slough depot where Colin Smith, from Whitley in Reading, was crushed to death on September 5, 2006.

The driver was reversing his lorry to connect it to its trailer when it hit 57-year-old Mr Smith.

At the opening of his trial at Reading Crown Court on Monday, the jury were told Wheeler admitted receiving a call but he claims he told his son he had to call him back later.

Wheeler says a call logged from his phone to his son’s just seconds before the accident must have been his phone returning the call by accident but he insists he was not on the phone while reversing his lorry.

David Travers, prosecuting, told the court that Mr Smith, who was partially deaf in one ear but had appeared to keep this from some colleagues, was crushed between the two vehicles when Wheeler was connecting his lorry to leave on his deliveries.

He said: “The circumstances in this case are undeniably tragic.

“This is not a case about something done on purpose.

“The defendant did not do anything deliberately or wilfully.

“All the prosecution need to prove is that he acted without reasonable care.”

Mr Travers added that the call log from Wheeler’s phone showed he was on the phone to his son less than a second before he called to report the accident.

He dismissed Wheeler’s claim that his phone had called his son by accident and that he was not on the handset at the time.

Royal Mail has admitted one count of failing to discharge duty under the Health and Safety Act by failing to ensure health and safety at work for all of its employees and is due to be sentenced on Wednesday, March 10.

On Tuesday, Simon Horrod, who was traffic office assistant at the time of the incident, told jurors coupling and uncoupling a trailer was a “one man operation” and performed by the driver.

The trial continues.

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Royal Mail driver cleared over colleague's death

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A Royal Mail driver has been cleared of breaching health and safety laws after fatally injuring a colleague.

Ian Wheeler had been trying to link up his tractor to a trailer at the Heathrow Worldwide Distribution Centre in Axis Park, Langley, near Slough.

But the 42-year-old had not realised Colin Smith was standing between his vehicle and the trailer when the accident happened, in September 2006.

Royal Mail has admitted breaching the Health and Safety At Work Act.

The company will be sentenced on 10 March and is expected to be fined.

'Conspicuous dignity'

Mr Wheeler, who denied failing to discharge his duty properly under the Health and Safety at Work Act, told Reading Crown Court he had not realised Mr Smith, 57, was standing between his vehicle and the trailer when he hit him. He was cleared on Monday.

Judge Stephen John praised Mr Smith's family, who attended court to show their support for Mr Wheeler, of Bracknell, Berkshire.

He said: "It seemed to me throughout the trial the family of Mr Smith behaved with conspicuous dignity."

Speaking outside court, Mr Smith's ex-wife Joan Page said: "I am very happy with the result."

The court was told Mr Smith had "no reason" to be in between the two vehicles when he died.

Judge John had told the jury that no-one would ever know precisely how Mr Smith came to be in between a tractor unit and trailer towards which Mr Wheeler was reversing.