Dreamspace artist failed to ensure safety
Feb 25 2009 by James Marley, The Journal
DREAMSPACE creator Maurice Agis was guilty of a safety failure when his giant installation flew from its moorings at a crowded country park.
The 77-year-old had denied any blame for the tragedy which left two dead and others badly injured on a hot summer’s day in July 2006.
But a Newcastle Crown Court jury found him guilty of failing to ensure visitors to his attraction at Chester-le-Street’s Riverside Park were not exposed to risk.
They found he was in breach of health and safety regulations.
And Agis is todaystill waiting to learn his fate on the two charges of manslaughter he also denies.
The jury of six men and six women had still not reached verdicts on those two charges after almost seven hours’ deliberation spread over two days. As trial judge Mrs Justice Cox sent them home to begin their work again at 10.30am this morning, she warned them they must not discuss the case either amongst themselves or with anyone else until they were back in their room under the protection of a jury bailiff.
Agis, wearing a bright pink shirt, baggy trousers, and a rumpled sports jacket had shown no emotion as the guilty health and safety verdict was returned.
He had been allowed to sit with his legal team in the well of the court rather than the public gallery.
Earlier, Justice Cox had told the jury she could now accept majority verdicts of either 11 to one, or 10 to two on the manslaughter charges.
Prosecutors claim Agis was guilty of “gross negligence” over the disaster when Dreamspace took off from the ropes and pegs supposed to hold it in place.
Elizabeth Collings, 68, from Seaham, County Durham, and Claire Furmedge, 38, from Chester-le-Street, fell to their deaths.
Others caught inside Dreamspace – including three-year-old Rosie Wright – were lucky to survive. The trial continues.
