Electrocuted crane driver seen 'shaking' at controls

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A man "obsessed with lorries" was electrocuted when the crane arm of his truck hit overhead power cables, an inquest has heard.

Gary Henry, 52, was operating the lorry when it made contact with cables at a builders' yard in Frettenham, near Norwich, in November 2015.

The father-of-five was seen by the owner of the yard "shaking" at the controls after "being electrocuted".

The inquest jury in Norwich returned a verdict of misadventure.

Adrian Dolman, owner of T&C Construction (SE), hired Mr Henry to move a storage unit and said he had warned him about the power cables.

He declined to answer questions after being advised of a risk of self-incrimination by Coroner Jacqueline Lake at Norfolk Coroner's Court.

But in a written statement, Mr Dolman said he saw "flames coming out of the offside of the lorry by the cab".

'Grabbed timber'

"He was being electrocuted. He was shaking," Mr Dolman said.

He said he grabbed a piece of timber to push Mr Henry clear of the truck.

Mr Dolman said Mr Henry tried to get up and said "I didn't think I had gone that high".

He was treated by paramedics but died at the scene on 18 November.

Health and Safety (HSE) inspector Keith Waller said Mr Dolman could have had the cables disconnected by UK Power Networks ahead of the work.

The HSE investigation concluded both Mr Dolman and Mr Henry "did not assess the risk of the situation appropriately".

"The trees could have made it difficult to see the cables," Mr Waller said.

Mr Henry's partner, Amanda Peek said he ran a fleet of four lorries and loved his work.

"He was obsessed with lorries," she said in a written statement. "It was more than just a business."

A post-mortem examination recorded the medical cause of death as electrocution and the jury returned a conclusion of misadventure.