Van driver jailed after 11-year-old boy dies in crash when loose scaffolding equipment hit car windscreen
A van driver has been jailed for four years after failing to secure a scaffolding board which struck the windscreen of a car and left an 11-year-old boy dead.
Russell Le Beau, 34, from Eastbourne, was driving his vehicle on Top Road in Hooe, East Sussex, when a collision took place at around 3pm on 15 December 2022.
He had not secured scaffolding boards on the van properly, causing one of them to become suspended in mid-air at an angle across the carriageway in the opposite direction.
Scaffolding boards are used to provide a platform for construction workers.
The protruding board would have been visible in Le Beau’s wing mirror as he was driving, Lewes Crown Court heard.
Lee Dennis was driving his car in the opposite direction with his 11-year-old son Harry in the passenger seat and his 13-year-old daughter in the back.
Mr Dennis had no time to react to prevent the scaffolding board from striking the window of his car and leaving Harry with serious injuries.
The boy had to be flown to Kings College Hospital in London where he died from his injuries days later.
Le Beau was arrested and later charged with causing death by dangerous driving.
What were the HSE findings?
Investigators from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the wooden boards were only clamped down by a metal pole at one end, at the very rear of the van, with no ratchet straps, net or tarpaulin securing them.
They also found there was no straps, net or tarpaulin bag being carried anywhere in the vehicle.
This meant there was nothing to prevent one of the scaffolding boards from swinging out across the carriageway.
Harry Dennis was killed in the collision
The HSE report concluded that load security on the vehicle was “grossly inadequate” and Le Beau had not followed the safe loading of scaffolding guidance.
Le Beau pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving before he was sentenced to four years in prison and was disqualified from driving for seven years.
Tribute from boy’s mother
Harry’s mother Maria Dennis said after the case: “Harry was our beautiful son with the biggest of smiles and the biggest of hearts.
“His kind, caring and fun nature made such an impact on so many. He would take others under his wing, helping his friends to grow in confidence and to believe in themselves.
“If Harry could make someone laugh it would make his day. His giggle was infectious and we share memories of his antics daily. His smile lives on in us – his family, and his friends.”
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Lee Dennis’s car after it was struck by the scaffolding board
The Dennis family said Harry was a “true sportsman”, playing football for Hastings Athletic Football Club, and said he always gave 100% in everything he tried, adding “his ambition to win was second to none, but equally he was always humble in defeat”.
Delivering the sentence, Judge Christine Laing KC told Le Beau: “You were driving whilst that vehicle was dangerous.
“I have no doubt that you were prepared to take a risk whatever the rush was that day.
“But you set off with catastrophic consequences. You were at the wheel and bear the responsibility for not checking.
“I accept that you didn’t intend to cause harm, but you took a most gross risk by driving with an insecure load.”
Police have appealed for information after a man was charged with murdering two women and raping a third.
Simon Levy has been charged with murdering 53-year-old Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo who died on the Aylesbury Estate, south-east London, on 17 March, the Metropolitan Police said.
In September, Levy, of Beaufoy Road, Tottenham, north London, was charged with murdering 39-year-old Sheryl Wilkins who was found unresponsive in High Road, Tottenham, on 24 August.
He is also accused of grievous bodily harm with intent, non-fatal strangulation and two counts of rape against a third woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, in Haringey, north London, on 21 January, police said.
The 40-year-old will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday charged with Ms Valencia-Trujillo’s murder.
Sheryl Wilkins was found unresponsive in High Road, Tottenham, on 24 August. Pic: Metropolitan Police
He is also due to appear at the Old Bailey on Wednesday for a plea and trial preparation hearing for the murder of Ms Wilkins.
Detectives believe there may be individuals who have information relevant to this investigation – or who are yet to report incidents which have directly impacted them – and are asking for people to come forward.
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UK
Family of woman killed 56 years ago, in a case of mistaken identity, believe her remains are buried in a garden
A new “national day” to honour victims and survivors of terrorism will be added to the calendar from next year, it has been revealed.
The annual commemoration will fall on 21 August, and will be marked in a different place each year to recognise the widespread impact of terrorism around the country.
It comes after a 12-week public consultation showed 91% supported the plan for a national day, and 84% strongly supported the proposal.
Flowers left in St Ann’s Square, Manchester, to remember the Manchester Arena terror attack. Pic: PA
How the day will look, including a final name and symbol, will be worked out collaboratively between survivors and ministers, according to the Home Office.
But it will “honour and remember victims and survivors of terrorism”, encouraging survivors to access specialist support, spotlighting their stories, and educating the public.
A spokesperson for the Home Office confirmed that it would not be a bank holiday.
Jo Berry, whose father Sir Anthony Berry was killed in the IRA Brighton hotel bombing in 1984, said victims of terrorism would no longer be “a footnote of history”.
Jo Berry, whose father was killed in the Brighton bombing in 1984, with convicted bomber Patrick Magee in 2004. File pic: PA
She said: “What we remember as a nation matters. It sends a signal about what we value.
“For too long, survivors of terror attacks, and those who have been killed in them, have been a footnote of history. Survivors have felt ignored and forgotten.
“That’s why Survivors Against Terror launched a campaign for a new national day of memorial three years ago.”
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Travis Frain, who survived the Westminster Bridge attack in 2017, also backed the campaign.
He said: “A national day would provide an opportunity to remember those we have lost, to pay tribute to the bravery and resilience of those who have survived these heinous acts, and for us to look forward to the future to educate the next generation.”
The date was chosen to coincide with the UN International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism.
Plans have also been announced for a new support hub to help victims in the aftermath of terror attacks.
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