Hatfield Rail Crash - Court Case

Court Case

In 2003, six individuals and two companies – Network Rail (as successors of Railtrack) and the division of Balfour Beatty that maintained the track – were charged with manslaughter in connection with the accident (see corporate manslaughter). Charges against Network Rail/Railtrack and some of its executives were dropped in September 2004, but the other charges stood. The trial began in January 2005; the judge, Mr Justice Mackay, warned that it could go on for a year. On 14 July, the judge instructed the jury to acquit all defendants on charges of manslaughter. A few days later, Balfour Beatty changed its plea to guilty on the health and safety charges and, on 6 September, Network Rail was found guilty of breaching health and safety law. All of the executives who had been charged were acquitted.

The court considered the extent to which the poor condition of the rail was known and any acts or failures to act that resulted.

• Anthony Walker (Balfour Beatty's rail maintenance director) and Nicholas Jeffries (its civil engineer), denied manslaughter.
• Railtrack's Alistair Cook and Sean Fugill (asset managers for the London North-East zone), and track engineer Keith Lee, denied manslaughter.
• All five men, with four others, were also accused of breaches of health and safety laws.
• Balfour Beatty denied manslaughter.
• Network Rail denied charges under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act.