A train driver involved in a fatal rail crash 18 years ago has expressed relief after his manslaughter convictions were quashed by the Court of Appeal in London because of new evidence about a signal.
An emotional Robert Morgan, now 64, from Littlehampton, West Sussex, was present to hear three judges rule that his September 1990 convictions were ‘unsafe’ in the light of fresh evidence relating to the signal at the centre of the t
tragedy.
Five people died and more than 80 were injured when his train passed a red signal and collided with another train outside Purley station in Surrey on 4 March 1989.
The crash involved a Littlehampton to London Victoria train, which Mr Morgan was driving, and a Horsham to Victoria service.
Mr Morgan, then 47, a driver with 23 years’ experience and of previous good character, was sentenced to 18 months, of which 12 were suspended, after pleading guilty to two counts of manslaughter. The sentence was later reduced to four months on appeal.
At the heart of his appeal was evidence that the signal at the centre of the case, T168, had been passed at red on four previous occasions between 1984 and 1987 – the most recent of which had involved a near-accident – and had been passed again in June 1991.
Outside court Mr Morgan said: “I am pleased that my conviction is quashed and my name is finally cleared.
“My thoughts will always remain with those who lost their loved ones.”
He added: “I feel very relieved because I bore this incident on my shoulders for 18 years.”
Lord Justice Latham, sitting with Mr Justice Cooke and Mr Justice Cranston, announced: “Clearly, something about the infrastructure of this particular junction was causing mistakes to be made.
“Had a jury known that, it is at the very least impossible for us to conclude that the jury would inevitably have nonetheless convicted the appellant of manslaughter.
“These facts would have all been matters which the jury would have taken into account when assessing the level of fault of Mr Morgan.
“There is no way that we can say accordingly that these convictions are safe. The position is that we allow the appeal against convictions.”
Mr Morgan’s solicitor, Gary Rubin, said in a statement: “This has been a long, hard struggle to clear his name. It is unfortunate that at the time when this tragic accident occurred, the significance of this particular signal being passed at danger on four previous occasions was not properly understood.
“It took yet another similar incident after this crash for things to change.”
Keith Norman, general secretary of train drivers’ union Aslef, said: “I am delighted that Bob has been vindicated. It was important not only for his peace of mind and reputation, but for all UK train drivers.”