AN OSCAR-winning special effects co-ordinator accused of blunders that killed a top cameraman in the making of Batman, The Dark Knight walked free from court on Monday (March 14) after being cleared by a jury.
Christopher Corbould, 53, who picked up his Academy Award this month for his work on "Inception" had insisted throughout his week-long trial that the safety of his crew was always uppermost in his mind.
"I wouldn't have put them in situations of danger if I could have foreseen it," he said, giving evidence in his defence.
Earlier, the court was told that technician Conway Wickliffe, 41, of Lyndhurst Crescent, Hillingdon, was killed while using a hand-held camera to shoot a practice stunt for the movie blockbuster - following a catalogue of alleged safety failings by Mr Corbould.
The father-of-two died from massive head injuries when a moving 4X4 Nissan car he was filming from crashed into a tree next to a test track at Longcross, near Chertsey, Surrey, the jury heard.
Mr Corbould, was prosecuted for allegedly putting Mr Wickliffe's life in danger by failing to observe health and safety guidelines in the run-up to the fatality.
Pascal Bates, prosecuting, told jurors that the technician's death was a tragedy waiting to happen. "A nasty accident was on the cards," he said.
Mr Bates slammed the defendant for allowing Mr Wickliffe to film a "Batmobile" stunt from a fast-moving vehicle without wearing a seat belt and to lean out of the car while shooting the practice scene.
He added there appeared to have been little safety planning in advance - and the special effects crew had been left to muddle through, with disastrous consequences.
Oscar and Bafta winner Mr. Corbould, 53, of Bookham, near Leatherhead, Surrey, - internationally renowned for his special effects on a litany of blockbuster movies including seven James Bond's, among them Casino Royale and the Harry Potter films- was accused of failing to discharge his duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. He denied the allegation from the outset.
The court was told that New Zealand-born Mr Wickliffe, whose funeral was attended by Hollywood stars such as Christian Bale, died at the scene of the crash on September 24, 2007.
Jurors heard that he was filming a "Batmobile" run from the back of a car which went out of control after swerving to avoid a pothole - and then crushed him against a tree.
Mr. Corbould who has been responsible for special effects work on some of the world's biggest Box Office hits, sat grim-faced in the dock as Mr Bates outlined a list of health and safety failings which he blamed on the defendant.
But in his evidence in chief and during his cross-examination, Mr Corbould said that he and his crew always made sure that safety was observed during special effects' scenes.
"We worked as a team," he said. He added: "I don't see why this should be any different."
Asked why Mr Wickliffe was not wearing a seat belt and was leaning out of the Nissan moments before the tragedy, Mr Corbould replied: "I know of no reason."
He added: "I didn't foresee any danger."
Mr Wickliffe’s death was the first of a number of disasters dubbed 'The Curse of Batman'. to hit the Dark Knight movie. It was followed by Heath Ledger, 28, who played film villain The Joker and died of an accidental drugs overdose in January 2008. And later the same year Morgan Freeman was seriously injured in a car accident.
After the case, Defence counsel Chris Humphreys said: "This was an ill-concieved and potentially career breaking prosecution and had it succeeded it could have had a drastic affect on film makers driving them abroad. It could have led to the demise of the British Film Industry with the loss of thousands of jobs and millions of pounds.
"Major figures in the industry whom I am not at liberty to name fully supported Mr Corbould who is admired throughout the world. This prosecution by the HSE is in marked contrast to the police investigation that concluded that Mr Wickliffe's death was a tragic accident. Conrad Wickliffe was Chris's friend and his death was devastating both to him and all who worked with him. There needs to be an investigation into why this prosecution was brought."
The jury unanimously found Mr Courbould not guilty and the judge ordered that his costs be paid from the public purse.
Mr Corbould's wife Lyn, said outside court: "People will have to make up their minds whether the case was a justifiable use of the tax payers money. The stress on Chris and I has been unbearable. Conway and my husband were good friends. His death was a terrible tragedy and having this prosecution come on top of it was almost too much to bear."
