Bath tipper truck 'drove well' before crash, mechanic tells court

A mechanic who carried out safety checks on a truck that crashed and killed four people has said he had no concern about the vehicle.

Peter Wood told Bristol Crown Court he drove and carried out vehicle checks for Grittenham Haulage, the firm that owned the lorry.

He said the truck "drove well" on three nights leading up to the crash on a hill in Bath on 9 February last year.

Mr Wood, 55, of Brinkworth, Wiltshire, denies charges over the crash.

The owner of the firm, Matthew Gordon, 30, of Dauntsey, Wiltshire, and driver Phillip Potter, 20, also of Dauntsey, also face charges.

During a day of technical evidence about the condition of the brakes, Mr Wood said if there were any problems with vehicles he would be extra careful when telling Mr Gordon, who he claimed had difficulty concentrating.

He said he would make sure there were other people around and show him any problems in the inspection pit.

Mr Wood said that on 17 January, when a six-week check was carried out on the Scania truck, he noticed no signs of welding on any of the brakes.

Four-year-old Mitzi Steady died in the Lansdown Lane crash when she was one of a number of pedestrians struck by the lorry.

Robert Parker, 59, Philip Allen, 52, and Stephen Vaughan, 34, also died in the crash in 2015.

Mr Allen and Mr Vaughan, both from Swansea, and Mr Parker, from Cwmbran, south Wales, were in a car hit by the vehicle.

The case continues.