Two gas workers and Island Energy are awaiting sentencing, while prosecutors were given two weeks to decide whether to seek a retrial for a third man after jurors could not agree on verdicts.
The Haut du Mont trial ended yesterday with the jury unable to reach the required majority on ten gross negligence manslaughter charges against Lee Ward (59), which he denies.
On Wednesday, jurors unanimously convicted Island Energy workers Neil Armstrong (58) and John Wright (60) of ten counts each over the explosion which killed ten people on 10 December 2022.
Jersey Gas, which trades as Island Energy, was also convicted of two health and safety offences.
Will Mr Ward face another trial?
That decision has yet to be made. The prosecution has 14 days from yesterday’s hearing to consider whether to seek a retrial.
Commissioner Andrew Oldland told the prosecution to consider that provision “very carefully”.
Mr Ward was released on bail.
Does a hung jury mean he was cleared?
No. Jurors could not reach verdicts supported by at least ten members, even after 28 hours and three minutes of deliberations.
Mr Ward has neither been convicted nor acquitted, and the case against him has not been dismissed.
The States Assembly approved legislative changes in March allowing a single retrial where jurors cannot reach a verdict, reversing a restriction introduced in 2018.
When will the convicted defendants be sentenced?
A sentencing date has not yet been fixed. Armstrong and Wright were remanded in custody to appear before the court again on 30 October, when a date will be set for their sentencing hearing.
That sentencing hearing is expected to last three to four days. Wright is due to appear by video link from prison, while Armstrong will attend in person.
The two men will be sentenced alongside Island Energy and the States Employment Board, the employer of all public servants, which had already pleaded guilty to two health and safety charges related to the blast.
Those charges concern failures to protect the public and employees relating to the actions of the Emergency Services Control Centre and States of Jersey Fire & Rescue Service on the day before the explosion.
What information does the court need first?
Pre-sentence reports have been requested for Armstrong and Wright, with a psychological report also a possibility for Wright.
The court has requested audited Island Energy accounts since 2020, alongside details of the company’s current ownership – particularly its subsidiary arrangements.
