Jury told of tragedy as bin wagon reversed

Ronald Fieldhouse, 51 was driving a refuse wagon for Leeds City Council when it mounted the pavement in Beeston Park Terrace, Leeds and hit the pole on April 19 last year.

Heather Gilmore, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court yesterday that when it fell it struck David Nelson, 56, who was working at the back of the vehicle.

Fieldhouse, of Grange Avenue, Tadcaster, denies causing the death of Mr Nelson by careless driving.

Miss Gilmore told the jury Mr Nelson was pronounced dead at the scene and a post-mortem examination showed he had suffered severe head trauma.

That day he was working as a banksman, responsible for loading up the wagon after colleagues had brought out the bins to the vehicle. It was also part of his job to help guide the vehicle when it needed to reverse.

She said the cab of the vehicle was fitted with a monitor which showed the reversing area and there were two side mirrors to help Fieldhouse make such manoeuvres.

“By reversing on to the pavement in the way he did, the defendant drove carelessly and he also failed to stop when his banksman disappeared from view.”

She said Fieldhouse had undergone safety training and how to react to a banksman’s hand signals.

He should have been able to see the pole in his monitor and she added: “The Crown say the wagon shouldn’t have been on the pavement in the first place.”

The other members of the refuse collecting team had not witnessed the incident because they were collecting bins at the time.

After the collision Fieldhouse was taken into the home of a local resident in shock where he was seen by police.

When interviewed later he said he was trying to avoid footpaths and parked cars.

He said he saw Mr Nelson disappear momentarily from sight and at that point felt a shudder and immediately got out and found what had happened.

A local resident, Sharon Connor, told the jury that morning she had seen the wagon begin to reverse slowly in the cul-de-sac from a window and saw the binman behind the vehicle.

She was about to open another curtain in her son’s bedroom when she heard “a big bang, like very loud”.

“I wasn’t sure whether it was in the house or outside because the house shook. I looked at the children and I said ‘What was that?’.”

She said she pulled the second curtain open and looking out could see the telegraph pole lying on the ground with the binman falling nearby.

The driver of the wagon got out and ran to the man.

“How was he behaving?” asked Miss Gilmore.

“It seemed as though he was really shocked about what had happened.

“He was throwing his arms up and down as if thinking ‘Oh God, what have I done.’

“He got his phone out, I believe to ring an ambulance, but he looked in too much shock and was shaking, so I thought he might not be able to do it so I rang an ambulance myself.”

The trial continues.