Bath death crash truck brakes had 'failed before'

The brakes of a tipper truck which crashed and killed four people had previously failed, a court has heard.

Mitzi Steady, four, Robert Parker, 59, Philip Allen, 52, and Stephen Vaughan, 34, died in the crash on Lansdown Lane in Bath in February 2015.

Bristol Crown Court has heard the brakes failed on the steep hill. A former employee said he had previously reported the fault to bosses.

Driver Phillip Potter denies causing death by dangerous or careless driving.

His boss at Grittenham Haulage Ltd Matthew Gordon, 30, of Dauntsey, who was driving another truck in front of Mr Potter, also denies 14 offences while the truck company's mechanic Peter Wood, 55, of Brinkworth, denies four charges.

Simon Dolman, a former transport manager at Grittenham Haulage Ltd, described to court how he nearly hit a horse in the summer of 2013 after coming round a corner.

He said he had applied the brakes but could not stop the truck. He said the incident left him shaking as he feared he could have run over the horse and rider.

After reporting the problem to company owner Mr Gordon, Mr Dolman said he never had a problem with the vehicle again.

Mr Dolman, a certified mechanic, said he had been employed by the company in 2013 but left the following year because he unhappy with the way the company was being run.

Another former driver at Grittenham Haulage Ltd described how Mr Gordon used restricted roads as short cuts.

Matthew Martin said he would follow his employer in convoy and use roads not suitable for large vehicles.

Mr Martin also told the court that he had driven the same tipper truck for six months in 2014. He said he had experienced brake failings, electrical faults and air pressure faults. In one incident, he said he felt the brake go "straight to the floor" as he attempted to stop behind a car making a sharp turn. He described the brakes as having a "spongy sensation".

The lorry hit several pedestrians including Mitzi and a car containing Mr Allen and Mr Vaughan, both from Swansea, and Mr Parker, from Cwmbran, south Wales.

Phillip Browne, who lived on Lansdown Lane, told the court he heard Mr Potter describing what happened.

He said he heard the driver say: "I think I've killed them. I was coming down the hill. I put my foot on the brake and there was nothing there."

Mr Potter, 20, of Dauntsey, is also charged with causing serious injuries to Karla Brennan and Margaret Rogers - Mitzi's grandmother - by dangerous driving.

He denies a total of 10 charges against him.

The trial continues.