The trial of two companies arising fom the Navan bus crash in which five teenage girls died has begun at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Keltank Ltd with an address at Balbriggan in Co Dublin deny charges that on 6 May 2005 they failed to undertake the necessary maintenance of the anti-lock brakes on the bus.
McArdles Test centre from Coe's Road in Dundalk deny charges that on 15 March they failed to notice that the anti-lock brake warning light on the driver's display was not working.
Outlining the case for the prosecution this afternoon, Brendan Grehan said that the charges arose from an investigation into the accident, and in particular, the bus which was involved in the fatal accident on 23 May of that year.
He told the jury of seven men and six women that at 4.17pm as the bus rounded a bend near the village of Kentstown, the driver applied the brake.
The vehicle shuddered and when he applied the brakes again, the rear of the bus swung around 'in the words of a witness, like a gate'.
Five schoolchildren were killed in the accident.
Mr Grehan said there would be evidence that employees of Keltank were aware that the ABS was not working on this bus and on other buses as well. He said the prosecution would also say that staff in McArdles's Test Centre were aware that the ABS warning light was not working on the drivers display as well.
Anti Lock brakes were an option which Bus Éireann paid for when they purchased the vehicle. That meant that there was no rear valve fitted to the vehicle to stop the wheels locking up and prevent the rear of the bus swinging out.
However, as the ABS was not working at the time of the crash, there was nothing to stop the bus swinging around as it did.
The trial before Mr Justice Pat McCarten continues on Friday. It could last up to three weeks.
