Glasgow Bin Lorry Crash Families Walk Out Again

The Glasgow bin lorry crash driver who blacked out at the wheel yesterday refused to apologise after being accused of telling a “pack of lies” about his medical history.

Harry Clarke is giving evidence for a second day as part of the probe into the tragedy. Ask for your licence back, it’s actually incredible.

There was no warning sign, Ms Thomson asked.

The lawyer said: “You should never have been behind the wheel of an HGV and you know that. I couldn’t say exactly”.

“The six innocent people who lost their lives would be here today, to speak to their families and spend time with their families and enjoy their lives with their families”.

He told the inquiry: “Being attached to the hotel”.

He said: “I think I remember (bin man) Matt shouting “Harry, wake up”.

After the crash he said he remembered being helped out from behind the wheel and down from the truck by a fireman and an off-duty nurse.

“I’m a wee bit confused about exactly what happened at the Millennium Hotel about whether I came around”.

She added: “Do you not have the decency to think about somebody else other than yourself on this occasion?”

“You took a chance that other people wouldn’t have given you”.

Mrs Thomson asked the driver: “At that point did you know anything about what happened to the people?”

He said: “Everything was okay, I saw the Christmas lights in the distance, and the next minute…it was like a light switch”. “But, what can I say?”

During his first day of evidence Mr Clarke said the moment he blacked out was “like a light switch”.

Mr Clarke was asked if he knew about the people who had been injured and he said his view of the scene was blocked by fire engines and police cars.

He said he had felt “brand new” as he began work that day.

The bin lorry involved in the accident. “Can you say that, Mr Clarke?”

Mr Clarke was asked about three unopened beer bottles found in the truck cab after the accident and explained that it was common for the crew to receive gifts from shop owners around Christmas time.

It is understood Mr Clarke was given a police escort to the court at 6.45am yesterday (Thurs) before being called to give evidence.

Mark Stewart QC, for the McQuade and Sweeney families, asked Mr Clarke to take the risk of prosecution “on the chin” and answer questions put to him.

Members of the family of the youngest victim of the crash, Erin McQuade, 18, of Dumbarton, left the court as Mr Clarke again refused to answer questions.

He was questioned about a DVLA form filled in by Dr Joanne Willox from 2011, claiming that there was no history of blackouts or impaired consciousness in the last five years. Sometimes he had even replied “no comment” before the Solicitor-General had finished her question.

He said on the evidence heard at inquiry there was a prima facie case to have charged Mr Clarke with causing death by unsafe driving or the lesser charge of causing death by careless driving. Mr Conway warned that he would “never get another chance to say that” but the driver said he had already answered the question.

Mrs Thomson also put to him that he had given a different history of events to his GP and occupational health doctor, about the April 2010 incident and he said “no comment”.

The lawyer said: “There’s one thing that might give them a crumb of comfort – that if whatever comes out of this inquiry it’s the kind of recommendations that mean that no family ever has to undergo again the pain and anguish that they are undergoing right now”.