Driver Guilty Over School Ski Trip Bus Crash

The driver of a coach which crashed in France with dozens of British schoolchildren on board has been found guilty of manslaughter.

Derek Thompson, 49, was driving the coach near Chalons-en-Champagne, 90 miles east of Paris, on 19 February 2012, when it crashed.

The 49 passengers on the bus were from Alvechurch School, near Birmingham, and they were returning from a skiing trip to the Alps.

One of the school's teachers, Peter Rippington, 59, was killed in the crash and many passengers, including children and ski instructors, were seriously injured.

Thompson was sentenced to six months in jail following the trial in France but this sentence was suspended for five years.

Steve Ratheram, 53, suffered nine spinal fractures, a fractured sternum, broken ribs and shoulder injuries in the crash and said he welcomed the conviction of Thompson.

The former ski instructor, and father-of-three from Yardley Wood, said: "My initial reaction is that while I welcome the conviction, the sentence seems very light bearing in mind the seriousness of what happened.

"It’s not really justice, although we will have to wait for the full judgement from the court. We all want to know what happened to cause the crash.

“Since the crash I’ve been back to hospital on countless occasions for further treatment and have had to get used to living with my injuries on a daily basis."

Clive Garner, head of international personal injury at Irwin Mitchell, which represents 25 of those injured in the crash, said many of those involved in the crash had been left with "serious and life-changing injuries" and that some would "never fully recover".

He added: "It is a relief to many of them to know that the criminal proceedings have been concluded and they are one important step closer to knowing exactly what caused the crash."

Mr Garner said the court had yet to release a full written judgement, which would explain the reasons behind Thompson's conviction and also give the victims "the answers (that they) both want and deserve".

The law firm is fighting tour company Interski over the crash but Mr Garner said Interski had previously denied liability on the basis that Thompson was not at fault.

He added that this view was "no longer tenable" and he was "anxious that liability is now admitted without further delay so that our clients can begin to move on with their lives".

Despite this, many of the passengers have already reached settlements or compensation deals, allowing them to pay for therapy and other aids to help them recover from their injuries.