Electrician cheats death after joker blasts 300lbs of compressed air up his shorts

Gareth Durrant, 26, was working in a plant making static caravans when the air hose, carrying 300lb per square inch, was allegedly blasted up his shorts and into his anus by a colleague in a “dangerous and foolish” prank.

Mr Durrant underwent emergency surgery and more than a year after the accident he is still suffering from the long-term effects of his injuries and the trauma. He has been unable to work and a civil claim for compensation began yesterday at Hull County Court.

But the case was halted after the two sides agreed a “compromise”, lawyers said. The solicitors said part of the compromise was that the details could not be disclosed.

Mr Durrant was working at Willerby Holiday Homes in Hull when the incident occurred in July last year.

He told the court: “I did not expect what I got that day and I did not deserve what I got that day.”

The court was told he was wiring a caravan and was working off the ground with two colleagues below him. He said: “I was just concentrating on doing my job and I just felt an absolute gush of wind blow through my anus.”

The court was told Daniel Robinson was holding the pressurised air hose – which is used to connect to power tools on the production line – when Mr Durrant turned to him and told him not to pass it to colleague Adam Herring.

When Mr Durrant, from Hull, was asked why, he replied: “He’s a bit of a prankster. He’s done a lot of pranks before, but nothing so serious.”

Michael Jones, representing Willerby Holiday Homes, said the injuries were caused by the “foolish act of Mr Herring acting outside the course of his employment”.

Mr Jones asked Mr Durrant: “Mr Herring’s actions must have been deliberate, not that he set out to inflict serious injury on you, but in bringing the hose to your bottom, anus area, he must have being doing that deliberately to play a prank?” Mr Durrant replied: “Yes.”

He was asked if he thought the actions of Mr Herring were “extremely dangerous and foolish”.

“Looking back, yes”, Mr Durrant replied.

Mr Jones put it to him that there had been an “air of joking going on” in the moments before the prank took place. “Yes,” Mr Durrant replied.

The incident left Mr Durrant with a six-inch tear in his bowel and severe damage to his intestines, which required an emergency operation.

Lawyers said the Health and Safety Executive is investigating the incident, which could still result in criminal charges.