Landowner denies safety charges over man crushed by quadbike

A MAN accused of failing to ensure the safety of a gardener who was crushed to death by a quadbike has told a jury he has never seen a quad rider wearing a helmet while using the machines on farms or private estates.

- JASON EVANS Reporter

Nicholas Prest said he was not asserting that not wearing helmet was “good policy” but it was just an observation based on his years of personal experience.

Prest and his wife Anthea are accused of breaching health and safety rules following the death of 47-year-old contractor Paul Marsden who was killed in April 2020. Mr Marsden was using a quad-mounted tank to spray weeds on the couple’s 15-acre estate in Monmouthshire when he was crushed by the machine.

The couple deny being to blame for the groundsman’s death and are on trial at Newport Crown Court.

Under cross-examination from James Puzey for the prosecution, 71-year-old Nicholas Prest told the court he was of the view that Mr Marsden was a “very natural and competent” rider of a quad. Asked how he had the competency to make such as assessment, Prest accepted he had not attended a quadbike course until after the fatality and said while he “certainly wouldn’t hold myself out as an expert” said had ridden such machines “a lot” over the years and had seen experienced quadbike riders and had talked to them about the important points.