Glasgow bin lorry driver facing charges in England

The scene of the crash that killed six people Glasgow city centre in December last year. Picture: Robert Perry

Solicitor general Lesley Thomson QC had been asked to clarify whether Harry Clarke could be prosecuted by the Crown Office in light of evidence given during the inquiry at Glasgow Sheriff Court.

She said in court yesterday that the scope of the Crown’s decision not to prosecute Mr Clarke, 58, extends beyond the 22 December crash to include information he provided to doctors, the DVLA and Glasgow City Council regarding a previous blackout in 2010.

But the inquiry later heard a prosecution of Mr Clarke by the Crown Prosecution Service south of the Border on behalf of the DVLA for failing to disclose his medical history is “under consideration”.

Lawyers acting on behalf of the victims’ families have also been asked to indicate if they intend to pursue a private prosecution against him.

The Crown Office issued a statement in February confirming it would not be pursuing any criminal charges in relation to Mr Clarke and the incident in George Square on 22 December last year.

Yesterday it confirmed it had been aware of Mr Clarke’s medical history when it took that decision.

Sheriff John Beckett asked Ms Thomson if the Crown would bring fraud charges against Mr Clarke after hearing he failed to disclose his health history to the DVLA and on job applications.

Mr Clarke is said to have previously fainted while working as a bus driver but failed to disclose the incident when he joined Glasgow City Council.

Referring to the decision not to prosecute him, Ms Thomson said: “I consider that the scope of the decision in February 2015 described in respect of the tragic incident extends to all aspects of the manner of Mr Clarke’s driving on 22 December as well as information previously provided to doctors, the DVLA and Glasgow City Council in respect of the incident in April 2010 when he was employed by First Bus.”

The inquiry also heard from Dr Gareth Parry, a senior medical adviser for the DVLA.

He was questioned by Dorothy Bain QC, representing victim Jacqueline Morton’s family, over the possibility Mr Clarke could be prosecuted by the CPS over alleged failure to disclose information to the licensing body. Such a prosecution could be possible, she said, because the DVLA is based in Swansea.

The inquiry heard non- or false disclosures could be punishable by a £1,000 fine or two years in jail, but Dr Parry said he was not aware of any such prosecutions in Scotland.

“Might it be that a good way of bringing home to people the need to make truthful declarations on a D4 [DVLA paperwork] form would be to prosecute robustly and rigorously those who make a false declaration?” Ms Bain asked. Dr Parry agreed.

“If you don’t tell the truth you are going to get prosecuted and you might end up in prison for two years – that might have a powerful effect,” Ms Bain suggested. Dr Parry replied: “Yes.”

Ms Bain then went on to ask if such a prosecution in Mr Clarke’s case is “under consideration”.

Dr Parry replied: “Yes.”

Sheriff Beckett asked lawyers to provide clarity on whether there is a prospect of prosecution in England and Wales. He has also called on lawyers acting for the victims’ families to indicate if they will seek a private prosecution.

Sheriff Beckett said an indication was required before Mr Clarke was called to give evidence so that appropriate warnings can be given.

The inquiry also heard from a doctor who saw Mr Clarke on Christmas Eve, two days after the incident. Dr John Leach, a consultant neurologist, assessed him for epilepsy. He said Mr Clarke “remembered little” after turning on to Queen Street on the day of the crash. “His next memory was of hearing the words ‘wake up’ and it seemed like it was in the distance, but it was someone speaking to him from the back of the cab [of the lorry],” Dr Leach said. He was unclear how much time had passed from his loss of consciousness to waking, he added.

Dr Leach said that when he asked Mr Clarke about his previous medical history, he told him about an incident in 2008 when he felt “shivery” and an ambulance was called. He said he did not lose consciousness and was not taken to hospital.

Asked if Mr Clarke could have been talking of 2010, he said: “I would like to think that patients are fully accurate but an error of a couple of years over seven years wouldn’t surprise me.”

Ms Morton, 51, Stephenie Tait, 29, both from Glasgow, Gillian Ewing, 52, from Edinburgh, Erin McQuade, 18, and her grandparents Jack Sweeney, 68, and Lorraine Sweeney, 69, from Dumbarton were killed when the lorry travelled out of control along Queen Street towards George Square before crashing into the side of the Millennium Hotel.