Three Island Energy workers alleged to have unlawfully killed the ten victims of the Haut du Mont explosion made the “conscious decision” to break the “golden rule” of gas safety on the day before the tragedy, jurors heard yesterday.

Neil Armstrong (58), John Wright (60) and Lee Ward (59) are each charged with ten counts of gross negligence manslaughter over the Haut du Mont explosion on 10 December 2022.

The three men, who worked together in a team led by Mr Armstrong, are said to have worked “exceptionally badly” on the day before the fatal blast.

Jersey Gas, which trades as Island Energy, also denies two alleged breaches of the Health and Safety at Work (Jersey) Law 1989.

Opening the case on Tuesday 8 September, Crown Advocate Simon Thomas said that the three defendants failed to carry out a “crucial, basic and fundamental” test – known as a pressure test – after restoring gas to the Haut du Mont network on December 9.

It is alleged that Mr Armstrong then left an emergency control valve “open and unplugged” at the social housing block, which led to the gas leak that ultimately caused the explosion.

“I do believe that they knew what they were doing”

Mark Wheeldon, who was employed as the asset delivery manager when the tragedy occurred, told jurors yesterday that the men “knew what they were doing” by failing to conduct a pressure test on the pipe leading to Haut du Mont.

He was asked by Advocate Mike Preston, representing Island Energy, whether “any procedure” established by the company could have legislated for the actions of the three men.

They chose not to follow procedures, rather than being ignorant of them

Mark Wheeldon

The witness responded: “Even though procedures were not followed, if they had just done the thing – which was a pressure test – before they had reconnected the pipe, we wouldn’t be having this discussion now.

“[The pressure test] would have indicated straight away that there was a problem with the integrity of the pipe.”

Advocate Mark Boothman, for Mr Wright, asked whether either his client or Mr Ward – as team leaders – were empowered to challenge their supervisor Mr Armstrong’s decision not to restore the Haut du Mont gas supply without conducting a pressure test.

Mr Wheeldon said: “I don’t believe they had the confidence to do that, but I do believe that they knew what they were doing.

“They chose not to follow procedures, rather than being ignorant of them.”

“Conscious decision” made not to follow procedures

Mr Wheeldon stated that, while the two team leaders were not trained to adhere to industry-standard UK-based procedures known as the Safe Control of Operations (SCO), they still should have known better.

“It’s not even part of the SCO training,” he told the court. “It is the golden rule in the gas business [to conduct a pressure test].”

Mr Wheeldon later added: “I don’t think any of the team leaders, or the manager, were incompetent.

“I think they understood what they should be doing and a conscious decision was made not to follow the procedures.”

Jurors heard him speculate that Mr Wright “would not have had the confidence to challenge” Mr Armstrong, but “certainly would have known that what he was doing wasn’t to procedures”.

Commissioner Andrew Oldland is presiding. The trial continues.