A LITTLE boy playing in a pub garden was electrocuted by a live charge left exposed by an electrician – after the landlord tampered with the supply to steal power, a court has heard.
Harvey Tyrrell, seven, suffered a massive shock when he sat on a wall light and touched a metal railing at the King Harold in Romford, Essex.
Now jurors have heard electrician Colin Naylor, 73, fitted the lethal lights after allegedly realising the electricity supply was dangerous.
And it's claimed landlord David Bearman – Naylor's brother-in-law – had been 'tampering' with the supply to steal electricity and flouting his legal responsibilities to arrange health and safety inspections for a decade.
Horrified drinkers rushed to help little Harvey when the youngster collapsed as a power surge "flowed through his body". Tragically, the schoolboy, who collapsed in front of a young pal, couldn't be saved.
A court heard Naylor, who has 50 years of experience, "raised his eyebrows" when he saw the power supply at the pub – but carried on fitting the lights anyway.
Prosecutors say a full check of the fuse box would have revealed the entire breaker panel wasn't properly earthed.
Meanwhile, Bearman, 73, had first been told the electrics at the pub were faulty on January 1 2009 – but failed to take action to make the supply safe, it's alleged.
Years later, in 2016, British Gas engineers visited the pub as they suspected someone was tampering with the supply – but were reportedly barred from entering.
Naylor, of Rayleigh in Essex, denies gross negligence manslaughter and failing to discharge a duty under the Health and Safety Act.
Bearman, of Hornchurch, has already admitted manslaughter, jurors heard.
Prosecutors claim the youngster's death in September 2018 was caused by Naylor's shoddy work when he installed a circuit that left a stretch of the pub garden "live with electricity".
Duncan Penny QC said: "The crown's case is that the defendant was grossly negligent in the installation of that lighting circuit."
The barrister said that when Naylor was interviewed, he told police the state of the pub's fuse board "caused him to 'raise his eyebrows'."
"He accepted that, when shown it by Bearman, he had indeed thought that the fuse board area needed some attention, but that he had decided having spoken to Mr Bearman that he did not want to 'get involved in that side of it'," Mr Penny said.
Harvey's mum Danielle and father Lewis were seen hugging as lawyers outlined the case against Naylor.
The trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court continues.
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