Glasgow bin lorry crash driver 'did not disclose previous blackout he had behind the wheel'

The aftermath of the tragedy in Glasgow City Centre in December 2014 Credit: PA

The driver of a bin lorry that killed six people in Glasgow city centre in December last year did not disclose a previous blackout he had at work, an inquiry has heard.

Harry Clarke was at the wheel of a Glasgow City Council lorry when it careered out of control on busy Queen Street on December 22 last year, killing six pedestrians and injuring 15 more.

Glasgow Sheriff Court has previously heard that the 58-year-old slumped at the wheel shortly before the crash.

Last week, the inquiry heard evidence that Clarke had collapsed while driving a bus in a previous job on the morning of April 7, 2010.

Today the inquiry was told that Mr Clarke did not disclose the incident in a medical questionnaire he filled out as part of a council job application in December 2010.

The inquiry heard Mr Clarke also had medical episodes in 1989, 1994 and 2003 and in the last case he was told not to drive, STV News reported.

Dorothy Bain QC, acting for the bereaved Morton family, produced a form completed by Mr Clarke on December 15, 2010, that stated he had had seven days off in the previous two years due to flu.

Jack and Lorraine Sweeney, Erin McQuade, Stephenie Tait, Gillian Ewing and Jacqueline Morton died in the crash just before Christmas Credit: Family handouts

The inquiry was later told that in December 2010, Mr Clarke also saw a doctor from the DVLA for a standard check on all Large Goods Vehicle drivers over the age of 45.

The court was shown a document filled out after the assessment which stated Mr Clarke had no history of blackouts or impaired consciousness and did not mention his April 2010 blackout.

Douglas Gellan, 48, cleaning services waste manager at the council, gave evidence in the inquiry.

He said he was not aware of previous instances relating to Mr Clarke's health and agreed he felt "let down" by Mr Clarke's actions in not disclosing medical history.

When it was put to him by Ms Bain QC that if Mr Clarke had "told the truth we wouldn't be here today", Mr Gellan agreed.

Erin McQuade, 18, and her grandparents Jack Sweeney, 68, and Lorraine Sweeney, 69, from Dumbarton, West Dunbartonshire, were struck and killed by the lorry on December 22 last year.

Stephenie Tait, 29, and Ms Morton, 51, both from Glasgow, and Gillian Ewing, 52, from Edinburgh, also died.

The inquiry continues.