Haut du Mont: Not guilty pleas entered at Royal Court

Wednesday, 28 May 2025 12:20

Three Island Energy employees, who deny causing the deaths of ten islanders in an explosion at Haut du Mont in 2022, will return to the Royal Court in October.

Neil Armstrong (56), Lee Alan Ward (57) and John Mark Wright (59) have appeared in Jersey's Royal Court for the first time and have been remanded on bail until their next appearance in autumn.

Each of them has pleaded not guilty to ten counts of gross negligence manslaughter.

Advocates Tremoceiro, Blakeley and Boothman are representing the three men.

Advocate Boothman (left) and John Mark Wright (right)Neil Armstrong (centre) and Advocate Tremoceiro (left)Advocate Blakeley (left) and Lee Ward (centre) from an earlier court appearance (March 2025)

The three accused worked for the island's gas supplier at the time of the fatal blast at the flats on Pier Road in St Helier in the early hours of 10 December 2022.

Separately, Island Energy's CEO Graeme Millar also appeared before the Royal Court today and pleaded not guilty to two counts of breaching the Health and Safety at Work (Jersey) Law.

The charges are failing to ensure the health and safety of employees and failing to ensure the health and safety of people not in their employment.

Advocate Preston represents the company.

Both cases were adjourned until a directions hearing in October.

Island Energy CEO Graeme Millar (centre) and Advocate Preston (left)

Ten islanders, Raymond Brown (71), Kathy McGinness (73), Billy Marsden (62), Ken Ralph (72), Jane Ralph (71), Peter Bowler (72), Derek Ellis (61), Sylvia Ellis (73), Romeu De Almeida (67) and Louise De Almeida (64), were killed in the explosion at Haut du Mont on 10 December 2022 just before 4am.