A schoolboy who died as a result of an incident inside the drum of a cable spooler had been warned he would be running about like a “hamster” if it was turned on, a trial has heard.
Michael McLean was caught by his line manager Craig Fraser working inside the drum of the machine at the premises of Denholm MacNamee Ltd, Inverurie Business Park, in the days before the incident on August 14, 2015.
Dean Reynolds, 23, is on trial at the High Court in Aberdeen accused of culpable homicide over the death of the 17-year-old.
Mr McLean sustained severe injuries and died in hospital days after an incident.
Reynolds denies killing him by culpably and recklessly operating a cable spooler machine, causing it to rotate while Mr McLean was within the drum of the machine. He faces an alternative charge of failing to take reasonable care for the health and safety of persons affected by his acts or omissions at work.
Reynolds, whose address was given as Regent Street, Keith, also denies a second charge of attempting to pervert the ends of justice by discarding two pairs of work boots belonging to him.
On the third day of the trial Craig Fraser, who was Reynolds’ and Mr McLean’s line manager, under questioning by advocate depute Richard Goddard, said he had found Mr McLean working in the drum of the machine a day or two before the incident.
Referring to a statement made to police, Mr Goddard said: “‘I told Michael off as he shouldn’t be inside the drum. I said to him if it was turned on he’d be running about like a hamster’. Do you remember saying that to the police?”
Mr Fraser replied: “I do now.”
Mr Goddard suggested he “did not make it clear to him he shouldn’t be in the drum”.
The witness repled: “Yes I did.”
Defence QC Ian Duguid took Mr Fraser through another statement he made to police.
In it Mr Goddard told police the teenager “knew the dangers” of working on the drum and was aware that if the machine was turned on while he was in it the consequences could be “devastating”.
The trial before Lord Beckett continues.
