AREAS: NEW ADDINGTON, CAMDEN, HEMEL HEMPSTEAD, CL

AREAS: NEW ADDINGTON, CAMDEN, HEMEL HEMPSTEAD, CLERKENWELL.

CENTRAL NEWS, PRESS ROOM, CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT, OLD BAILEY, LONDON
EC4.

TEL 01 236 0116/5777
HIGH COURT/AH
JAN 13, 1988

SKIP 1

A MAN WHO SMASHED HIS MOTORBIKE INTO AN UNLIT SKIP IS SUING
THE FIRMS THAT HIRED IT AND SITED IT.

STANLEY DEREK SHEPPARD, 57, WAS RIDING HIS HONDA 90 NORTH
ALONG FARRINGDON ROAD, CLERKENWELL, AT 9PM ON APRIL 7, 1985, WHEN THE

ACCIDENT HAPPENED, THE HIGH COURT IN LONDON HEARD.

HE WAS GOING TO FIND OUT IF HE HAD WORK THAT NIGHT AS A FLEET
STREET CASUAL, LOADING BALES OF NEWSPAPERS ONTO DELIVERY LORRIES.

BUT, AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT, HE WILL PROBABLY NEVER WORK
AGAIN.

HE SUFFERED SHOCK, A BROKEN LEFT ARM AND CUTS TO HIS LEFT LEG
AND WAS TAKEN TO ST BARTHOLOMEW’S HOSPITAL WHERE HIS ARM WAS OPERATED

ON 12 DAYS LATER.

PLATES HAD TO BE PUT INTO IT TO CORRECT THE FRACTURES.

AN INFECTION DEVELOPED AND HE WAS READMITTED TO HOSPITAL ON
MAY 7.

HIS ARM IS STILL PAINFUL, THE COURT HEARD, AND HE CONTINUES TO

BE TREATED BY A DISTRICT NURSE.

MR SHEPPARD, OF (54) APPLEGARTH, NEW ADDINGTON, SURREY, NOW
HAS LIMITED MOVEMENT IN HIS FOREARM AND CAN NO LONGER LIFT HEAVY
WEIGHTS.

IT IS UNLIKELY HE WILL GET ANOTHER JOB, HIS COUNSEL MR CHARLES

MAKEY SAID.

MR SHEPPARD IS CLAIMING DAMAGES PLUS INTEREST FROM SKIP
SUPPLIERS, PATRICK ANDERSON LIMITED OF CAMLEY STREET, CAMDEN, AND

SKIP HIRER, BUILDING CONTRACTORS, SWIFT (ST ALBANS) LTD, OF SWIFT

HOUSE, HIGH STREET, HEMEL HEMPSTEAD, HERTS.

MR MAKEY SAID THE COMPANIES WERE NEGLIGENT BECAUSE THE SKIP
WAS AT AN ANGLE IN THE ROAD, NOT PARALLEL TO THE KERB, IT WAS UNLIT
AND THERE WAS NO WARNING OF ITS PRESENCE.

HE ADDED PATRICK ANDERSON LTD WAS FOUND GUILTY OF TWO OFFENCES
UNDER THE HIGHWAYS ACT 1980 AT CLERKENWELL MAGISTRATES COURT IN
FEBRUARY, 1986.

THE COMPANY DENIES NEGLIGENCE AND SAYS THE ACCIDENT WAS MR
SHEPPARD’S FAULT.

IT CLAIMS HE WAS RIDING TOO FAST, FAILED TO CONTROL

HIS MOTORBIKE AND FAILED TO KEEP A PROPER LOOKOUT.

SWIFT ALSO DENIES NEGLIGENCE AND SAYS THE SKIP WAS NOT UNDER
ITS CONTROL OR CARE.

THE HEARING BEFORE DEPUTY JUDGE DIAMOND, QC, IS TO
DETERMINE LIABILITY AND THE AMOUNT OF ANY DAMAGES.

THE TRIAL CONTINUES.

ENDS