Test centre found not guilty

28/03/2013

David O'Reilly, acting on behalf of vehicle-testing firm O'Reilly Commercials Ltd of Ballinalach, Mullingar, Co Westmeath has pleaded not guilty to four charges relating to the Safety, Health and Welfare at work act in relation to the inspection of the bus between 5-6 August of the previous year

The bus went out of control on a bog road road outside of Clara in Co Offaly in April 2006. The back axle came away and the bus flipped over. 15-year-old schoolboy Michael White was under the bus and died from catastrophic injuries.

After deliberating for almost five-and-a-half hours the jury of ten men and two women returned the verdict of not guilty on the fourth count under Safety, Health and Welfare of failing to take account of a fracture in the chassis.

Judge Margaret Heneghan has granted the jurors more time to continue to deliberate on the other three counts.