Fisherman's Friends manslaughter trial: Company boss accused of gig deaths had 'casual approach to safety', court told

Fisherman's Friends singer Trevor Grills and the band's promoter Paul McMullen were killed after a steel door, designed and manufactured by Express Hi-Fold Doors Limited, collapsed while they were unloading music equipment from their van.

David Naylor, 57, from Bridgnorth, director of Express Hi-Fold Doors Limited in Telford, denies two charges of manslaughter by gross negligence and the company denies a third charge of a breach of health and safety laws.

Mr Grills, a vocalist with the sea shanty group, from Port Isaac in Cornwall, was struck by the door at the G Live theatre in Guildford on February 9 2013, hours before he was due to perform.

The 54-year-old died in hospital days later on February 12.

Mr McMullen, 44, from Disley in Stockport, died at the scene after being crushed under the bi-fold door and suffering leg injuries.

Prosecutor Zoe Johnson QC told a jury at Guildford Crown Court in Surrey that the type of door manufactured by the company was "unique" in the UK and had no "anti-drop safeguard".

She added similar doors the firm had supplied had failed before.

She said: "The prosecution allege that Mr Naylor knew or ought to have known that there was a serious risk of a door such as this falling and possibly killing someone because prior to the event of 9 February, another of his doors had fallen, fortunately not killing anybody on those occasions.

"The prosecution alleges that the failure to have an anti-drop safeguard coupled with other evidence of earlier door collapses and this defendant's rather casual approach to safety means that his conduct is so bad as to amount to the offence of gross negligence manslaughter."

Ms Johnson described how the door collapsed on to the two men after two drive chains failed.

"As it was being raised that day, the door fell to floor without warning," she said.

"Mr McMullen was trapped beneath the door by his legs. Although paramedics managed to free him, sadly Mr McMullen was declared dead at the scene.

"Mr Grills was struck to the head by the falling door and was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries. Sadly he died on the 12th of February.

"The door collapsed that day because two drive chains, linking the motor and gearbox to a drive shaft, failed and the failure of the drive chains disconnected the motor from the drive shaft and as a result of that the door fell."

The chains failed after a "misalignment of the drive sprockets" had caused wear over time, she added.

"The defendant failed to take reasonable steps that if both chains failed there was any appropriate anti-drop safeguard to prevent uncontrolled free-fall of the door," Ms Johnson said.

Naylor, who appeared in the dock wearing a dark grey suit, striped shirt and grey tie, was the owner and sole director of the company, which was formed in Telford in 1997.

The director, of Stourbridge Road, Bridgnorth, Shropshire, had worked in steel construction since he was 17, the court heard.

He had been granted a licence to manufacture the doors, which were an American design, after visiting the US to see how they were made in 1997.

The trial continues.