Former boss of bin lorry driver: I didn’t tell lies
Death probe told of ‘clean bill of health’
A BUS depot boss has denied lying about former driver Harry Clarke’s shocking disciplinary and health record in order to ‘get him out of the door’.
First Bus operations manager Francis McCann signed Mr Clarke off with a ‘clean bill of health’ on an employee exit form, without mentioning he was facing summary dismissal for gross misconduct.
Mr Clarke worked for the bus company immediately before he secured various driving jobs with glasgow City Council.
The 58-year- old blacked out at the wheel of a council bin lorry that veered onto a packed city centre pavement three days before Christmas, killing six people.
A fatal accident inquiry was told the exit form was completed on the same day as Mr Clarke’s final shift on December 28, 2010.
Inspectors had reported him for gross misconduct over seven separate offences of failing to stick to timetables, including arriving at one bus stop 16 minutes early.
glasgow Sheriff Court was told that First Bus, which was fined £130,000 in 2009 over early running issues, operates a strict policy of summary dismissal for any driver running five or more minutes early.
The document, shown to the inquiry, stated that Mr Clarke was ‘suitable for re-employment’ – even though he had been the subject of final warnings over absences – and that he had no attendance issues, despite 26 sick days that year.
Mr McCann, 59, said he usually filled out exit forms at the end of each week but Mr Clarke’s had been completed in the middle of the week.
Peter gray, QC, acting for the council, said: ‘your normal practice was to complete employee exit forms at the end of the week and the reason you didn’t include the reference to the disciplinary issue is because you were not aware of it?’
‘yes,’ replied the witness. ‘That’s a lie, isn’t it Mr McCann?’ said Mr gray. The witness said: ‘No.’ Mr gray went on: ‘ It just so happened on this occasion you completed this form midweek, it coincided with an occasion when Mr Clarke is about to be dismissed for gross misconduct. So you fill in the form giving him a clean bill of health and get him out the door.’ Mr McCann replied: ‘No.’ Mr McCann accepted t hat, according to the form, it appeared that there were no problems with attendance, conduct, early running or customer complaints.
He told the i nquiry that all matters, including a final written warning issued in November 2009, had ‘expired’ by the time the form was completed.
Earlier, the court heard that Mr Clarke’s blackout may have been ‘ prolonged’ because he was strapped in an upright position.
Dr Nicholas Boon said that normally when a patient collapses they will drop to the ground, allowing blood to make its way to the head.
Dr Boon said: ‘If you are strapped into a seat or held upright artificially, this cannot happen. It makes the attack worse and prolongs it. I suspect that was a factor here.’
The expert said that if a previous blackout behind the wheel of a bus in 2010 had been fully disclosed, it was likely Mr Clarke would have been diagnosed with vasovagal syndrome, which affects heart rate and blood pressure, and he would have been told not to drive.
‘Dismissed for gross misconduct’