Haut Du Mont Trial: 'It could explode', jury hear 999 calls

Jurors have heard the 999 call made by Haut Du Mont resident Louisa De Almeida, reporting the smell of gas inside her flat, hours before the explosion that killed her and nine others in December 2022.

CCTV footage of the subsequent explosion was also played today (9 September) in the trial of three gas workers and Island Energy Work in connection with their deaths.

Before Mrs De Almeida called, at around 8:35pm on 9 December 2022, a member of the public called 999 to complain of a smell of gas near Haut du Mont so intense, that he felt sick.

The jury was read a transcript of that call, in which he said:

"There's a very strong smell of gas coming from Haut Du Mont... it's very strong...

"It could explode..."

During the call he referred multiple times to how 'strong' the smell was, saying that he was concerned for older people who lived in the flats who might have left a hob on, or might be sleeping, so 'couldn't have done anything.'

A fire engine was then dispatched, and at 8:45pm, Mrs De Almeida called and said:

"There's a major smell of gas out in front of the house and in my living room here...

"I have nothing that is gas; that's why I'm wondering is there a leak?"

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However, the jury heard that the call from Mrs De Almeida was not processed correctly by the Emergency Control Room.

Advocate Simon Thomas said that the fire service was not informed that Mrs De Almeida had reported a smell of gas inside her flat, only outside. 

He said that a report of gas inside a building would have prompted an evacuation of the building, and as it would have been classed as higher risk, more crew would have been dispatched.

Instead, a single crew was dispatched, no investigation was done inside the flats, and the building was not evacuated. 

He called this a 'tragic missed opportunity.'

Before 9pm, the crew reported that the smell was dissipating outside Haut Du Mont, and that there was no trace of gas on the monitors.

The jury heard that the gas detection equipment used by the fire service that night was 'inadequate', because they did not have the right accessories attached to them. They were also set to detect methane, and should have been set to detect propane.

The States Employment Board, which is responsible for the Emergency Control Room and the Fire and Rescue Service, has taken responsibility for its failings, with two guilty pleas for offences under the Health and Safety at Work  Law; one for members of the public and the other for employees.

They will be sentenced at a later date.

Advocate Thomas said that 'ultimately, however, it is the responsibility of Island Energy, as opposed to the Fire Service to detect gas leaks.'

Leigh Hunt was Island Energy’s on-call engineer that evening and was sent to the scene just before 9pm.

He told investigators he had driven along Pier Road - near to Haut Du Mont - and could not smell gas in there, but CCTV footage shows that he did not go to Pier Road, instead, went towards Commercial Buildings.

The jury heard that he instead went to the excavation site - where the pipe had been cut earlier that day - and saw the fire service was also there.

They told him they detected no gas. 

Mr Hunt called Mr Armstrong, one of the three gas engineers on trial, and he joined him at the excavation site to check it - detecting no gas. 

Both left the area by 9.30 pm.

The jury heard that neither went to check Haut Du Mont, something Advocate Thomas said was 'entirely inadequate.'

Read more: Haut Du Mont Trial: Worker checking gas valves spent almost 'entire' time on his phone - Channel 103

At 3.53 am on 10 December, the explosion occurred at Haut Du Mont, caused by gas escaping, which was ignited by a small spark.

At 4.03 am, a second, smaller explosion occurred in the neighbouring block.

The jury was then read the names of each of the residents who died in the explosion: Raymond Brown, Louise de Almeida, Romeu de Almeida, Sylvia Ellis, Derek Ellis, Kenneth Ralph, Jane Ralph, Peter Bowler and William Marsden, and Kathleen McGinness, who died in hospital on Christmas Day from her injuries. 

Armstrong, along with other engineers John Wright and Lee Ward, deny gross negligence manslaughter, while Island Energy denies health and safety failings.

The trial continues.