No-one to be charged over 31 Paddington rail deaths
No-one to be charged over 31 Paddington rail deaths
No individuals will face charges over the 1999 Ladbroke Grove rail crash which claimed 31 lives. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said there was 'insufficient evidence' to provide a realistic prospect of conviction of any individuals. But it said the company Network Rail (formerly Railtrack) would face criminal charges under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. Louise Christian, the lawyer for many of the families of the people killed in the disaster, said the decision was devastating for the bereaved and accused the CPS of losing its nerve. 'I think that the reason this decision has been taken is because of the judgment of the judge in the Hatfield case [Risks 228], which was on the particular facts of that case that that prosecution didn't succeed, but the CPS has now had a failure of nerve and has decided that it would be criticised if it brings another unsuccessful prosecution.' The CPS said the result of the Hatfield trial earlier this year 'further, and fatally, weakened the potential case.' It added this had 'demonstrated how difficult it is for the prosecution to establish gross negligence to the criminal standard of proof.' The crash happened when a Thames Trains train went through a red signal and hit a London-bound Great Western express. Thames Trains and Railtrack were both criticised in a public inquiry report by Lord Cullen. Thames Trains pleaded guilty to health and safety offences in relation to the 1999 crash and was fined £2m in April 2004 (Risks 151).
Stay Updated
Want to hear about our latest news and blogs?
Sign up now to get it straight to your inbox