A health and safety inspector investigating a fatal school bus crash has told a court that he never questioned a mechanic about cracks in a back spring or a “missing bolt”.
The bus crashed on a bog road just outside Clara, Co Offaly on April 4th, 2006 when the back axle came away and the bus flipped over. School boy Michael White (15) died as a result of the accident.
The owners of Clara Cabs, Raymond and Ruairi McKeown (above), both of River Street, Clara have pleaded not guilty to six counts with failing to maintain the 1989 Mercedes bus, two of which relate to the death of the school boy on April 4th, 2006. David O’Reilly, acting on behalf of O’Reilly Commercials Ltd of Ballinalach, Mullingar, Co Westmeath has pleaded not guilty to four charges relating to failing to note or verify defects when they tested the bus between August 5th and 6th, 2005.
On day five of the trial, John Sheeran, an Inspector with the Health and Safety Authority, told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court David Fox was the only mechanic who had carried out repair work on the bus between 2003 and 2005.