22 January 2023 , 13:28
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The tearful brother of an industrial site worker has told of how he accidentally drove over and killed his own brother, an inquest heard.
David Potter, 57, was showing his brother Mark Potter a lorry for sale which the latter was looking to buy at Harris Commercial Repairs Ltd in Basildon, Essex.
Mark, who was 55 at the time, told the inquest at Essex Coroner's Court on Thursday (January 19) of how he had been waiting in the lorry for 10 minutes after agreeing to do a test drive.
Mark decided to start the engine and drive off after waiting, not knowing David was in front of the lorry on Oct 4, 2019.
David was pronounced dead at the scene.
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He was a "much-loved" dad and stepdad.
David's inquest was held at Essex Coroner’s Court (Google Streetview)Mark, now 58, told the coroner of how he lurched forward with the heavy goods vehicle (HGV) before he heard David "shouting".
Mark, from Higham in Kent, said in a tearful statement: "I saw him in the mirror at the back of the vehicle.
"I lost sight of him then, I couldn't see him in either of my mirrors. I sat there for some time, I don't know how long it was and I thought 'just go on your own'.
"At that point I moved the vehicle forward."
Realising what he'd done, he immediately called an ambulance.
Three arrived with an air ambulance at the scene shortly after 1pm.
Mark said he had been "excited" to see David when he arrived at the site as it had been a while since they'd last seen each other.
They greeted with a "hug and kiss" before David began to show Mark the lorry in question.
Mark told the jury that he did a full check in each mirror and windscreen before moving off.
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Mark has a class 1 HGV license.
Mark said it "looked like" David had been fitting trade license plates at the back of the vehicle when he last saw him.
He said he had moved the automatic vehicle at barely half a mile an hour before he heard shouting and turned off the engine.
He added: "I couldn't see him, I didn't know what it was.
An air ambulance was called to the scene (Getty Images/iStockphoto)"The last place I saw him was at the back, I went around to the back and he wasn't there.
"I went all the way around to the front and I saw his glasses and phone at the front.
"He was at the front of it."
A colleague of David's then he rushed out of one of the buildings to the sounds of a female voice shouting "call an ambulance".
Graham Walsh, another colleague, found David under the lorry.
He used a forklift truck to help lift the lorry off David so the paramedics could attend to him.
Mark was initially arrested before being released without charge (Getty Images/iStockphoto)Kelly Spratt, Mark's partner who had come with him for the visit was waiting in their car before she saw Mark run passed reception.
She heard him say: "My brother's under the lorry."
She then called 999.
Mark was arrested by Essex Police but later released without charge.
At the time the family released an emotional tribute to David.
In a statement they wrote: "David was loved by everyone he met. He had a big, loving heart and always put a smile on your face.
"He was the kind of person who would always put others first.
"The most warm and loving person you would ever meet, who lived life to the fullest with the people who meant most to him.
"The best dad, husband, brother, stepdad and grandad who loved his family more than anything."