Fresh inquest over dustcart death

The High Court has ruled a new inquest should be held into the death of a Frenchman who was killed by a council refuse truck.

Stephane Aineto died in July 2001 in a pedestrian area of East Street in Brighton after being struck by the dustcart.

A first inquest held in December 2001 concluded his death was an accident.

His family had campaigned for fresh inquiry and on Monday two judges ruled a new inquest must take place in front of a jury.

It is the start of something positive Sandrine Aineto

Mr Aineto was 28 years old when he was killed.

The original hearing into his death was held without a jury, had no involvement from the Health and Safety Executive and heard no evidence from the council.

At the High Court Lord Justice Dyson and Mr Justice Gibb ruled that: "The failure to summon a jury was a serious procedural impropriety."

Sandrine Mehadhebi Aineto, Stephane's sister, said: "The decision by the judges to hold a new inquest will finally allow us to properly understand how Stephane died.

"It is the start of something positive."

John Halford, of solicitors Bindman and Partners, said: "This is a huge milestone for the family's path to justice.

"They have established that a fundamental element of the inquest was missing in that because this was a work-related death, a jury had to be summoned."