5:05pm Monday 9th November 2009
Two firemen died in a huge explosion at a fireworks factory near Lewes because of "gross negligence" in the storage of explosives, a court heard today.
Retained firefighter Geoff Wicker, 49, and support officer Brian Wembridge, 63, were killed in the blast at the site at Marlie Farm in Shortgate on December 3 2006.
A metal container illegally "packed" with fireworks "exploded like a bomb", causing "carnage" and hurling fragments far and wide, a jury of nine women and three men heard.
The two firemen, both long-serving members of East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, were killed and some 20 others, mostly police and fire officers, were injured.
Jurors heard that Martin Winter, 52, the boss of Alpha Fireworks Ltd, and his son and employee Nathan Winter, 25, were aware of the hazards posed by housing such fireworks in a metal container with other fireworks.
Opening the Crown's case at Lewes Crown Court, prosecutor Richard Matthews said the container was not a building authorised by the company's licence to store fireworks.
The Winters both deny two counts of manslaughter.
Not guilty pleas have also been entered on behalf of Alpha Fireworks Ltd, which faces two counts of breaching health and safety legislation.
On the day of the blast, Nathan Winter was preparing for a display that the company, then called Festival Fireworks UK Ltd, was due to put on in Eastbourne.
Mr Matthews said: "It seems that the fire broke out whilst he was handling the fireworks and equipment for the display and soon exploding fireworks spread to other areas of the site."
Firefighters from East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service were summoned to tackle the blaze as fireworks spread the fire from building to building on the farm.
As the blaze intensified, the command of the fire operation was passed upwards and a decision was made to set up remote water monitors to keep the fire from spreading to the container.
By that time, fire service officials decided to evacuate Marlie Farm and withdraw, but a number of fire officers were still nearby.
They included Mr Wembridge - a video cameraman who was filming the fire operation - and Mr Wicker, who was one of the fire officers at the scene.
Mr Matthews said that in video footage captured by Mr Wembridge to be shown to the jury, the container doors were blown open by the pressure shortly before his screen went blank.
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.theargus.co.uk