'Defects possible on death crash bus'

The driver of the bus, Christopher Cushing, aged 38, of Ash Place, Bargoed, is on trial at Cardiff crown court charged with causing death by dangerous driving.

The minibus he was driving on the way to Newbridge Comprehensive School collided with a car on May 16 last year.

The bus, which had overturned on the A472 on the hill between Hafodyrynys and Crumlin, was carrying 11 children. Passenger Jasmine Allen, 12, died later that day.

On Friday vehicle examiner Kevin Gist, and accident investigation officer PC Stewart Stirling admitted it was possible the bus could have had a fault which made it difficult to handle.

Mr Gist initially said the bus was problem-free before the accident happened. He said it was missing steering fluid because it had leaked after the minibus had landed on its roof.

But defence barrister Susan Ferrier asked Mr Gist if it was possible if the fluid had been missing prior to the crash, making the bus difficult to control.

She said: "There may well be an alternative set of facts which might be possible." Ms Ferrier also suggested one of the rear tyres of the bus was under-inflated.

She said: "The back tyre was deflated, but there was no leakage at the time of the vehicle examination."

She suggested these defects in the vehicle had made it harder to drive.

Mr Gist said: "It is possible it could have happened before the accident. It could affect the stability."

Ms Ferrier asked PC Stirling if an under-inflated tyre would affect the handling . He replied: "It could make a difference to the handling, it would depend on the degree of under-inflation. The best person to tell would be the driver."

He said that if a vehicle was travelling uphill and going round a bend - as the minibus was - and the driver touched the brake at the wrong time, it could be disastrous.

He said: "It could be disastrous, or it could not.

"The rear could become lighter and swing out." The trial continues