A jury has been told the death of a 15-year-old boy in a school bus crash in Co. Offaly is not relevant to the trial of a company which tested the vehicle months earlier.

Teenager Michael White died from catastrophic injuries when the rear axle came off the school bus and it went out of control on a bog road just outside Clara on April 4th 2006.

David O'Reilly, acting on behalf of O'Reilly Commercials Limited of Ballinalach, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath has pleaded not guilty to 4 charges relating to failing to note or verify defects on the bus in August 2005.

It is the case of the prosecution that the company did not employ a safe system of work.

Crash 'rocked the community'

In her closing address, Senior Counsel Caroline Biggs spoke of Michael White's family's unspeakable loss and how the crash 'rocked the community' but she said the testing company was not charged with causing the 15-year-old's death.

The jury has heard evidence the bus was fitted with a modified suspension system in 1991 which was subject to a recall 5 years later because of safety issues.

The owner of the testing company told the court he did not think there had been such modifications.

David O'Reilly also gave evidence that alleged defects such as a missing bolt in the right rear suspension spring of the bus, and a fracture in the chassis were not present at the time of the test. He said he had no safety concerns about the bus when he gave it a certificate of road worthiness.

The defence has now begun its final address to the jury which is expected to continue throughout the afternoon. The jury will then be given legal directions by the trial judge before beginning their deliberations.