A bus inspector has described the driver accused of dangerous driving causing the deaths of five people in Dublin city centre three years ago as a "solid man and a professional driver."
Inspector Richard Regan had been directing the departure of buses from Wellington Quay at the time of the incident and told gardai he had witnessed "total carnage."
Kenneth Henvey (51) of Whitethorn Crescent, Palmerstown, has pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to dangerous driving causing the deaths of two men and three women at Wellington Quay on February 21st, 2004.
Mr Regan has worked for Dublin Bus since 1983 and told the jury on day five of the trial that Mr Henvey had "never caused any problems" and was "in great form" immediately before the incident.
Mr Regan said that another man, Gary Donegan, had driven Mr Henvey's bus to the stop at Wellington Quay and was "very new, in his second week" with Dublin Bus.
Mr Regan's back was turned as Mr Henvey's bus mounted the pavement, moved along the inside of a number 66 bus and hit a crowd of people waiting to board it. Mr Regan said he heard a bang and a scream and pressed a panic button connecting him to gardai when he "realised it was serious."
Bus driver Edward Kavanagh told the jury he came upon the scene and saw people lying on the road almost in front of the 66 bus. He said he recognised Mr Henvey and helped to get him off the bus. He said Mr Henvey asked "what did I work my rest day for?"
The jury earlier heard Mr Henvey had been doing overtime on his day off to pay for a holiday for his daughter.
Patrick Gageby SC (with David Burke BL), defending, cross examined a technical expert who earlier told the jury the bus driven by Kenneth Henvey "could not have experienced a power surge or unintended acceleration as a result of an electronic or component failure."
Garda Adrian Tucker, a Public Service Vehicle Inspector, agreed with Mr Gageby that an onboard machine which recorded electrical errors on the bus had failed to record 'errors' on two occasions during testing in December 2006.
Gda Tucker said an 'error' was introduced to the bus' engine in which an electrical current far greater than normal was run through it and that the unit which records errors had not done so in this instance.
The hearing will continue on Monday before Judge Michael White and a jury of four women and eight men who will hear evidence from a garda investigator of fatal road traffic accidents.