Alexander van Steen: Doncaster sensory play equipment businessman and ex-Army officer to face trial after trailer he was towing detached and crushed a teenage boy

Alexander van Steen was approaching his sensory play equipment company’s premises off King Edward Road in Thorne on the morning of December 21, 2021, when the accident happened.

Sheffield Crown Court heard today that the 36-year-old former Army officer was driving his Land Rover Discovery and hauling a twin-axle trailer described as ‘large’ in size containing foam padding for installation in special needs education and care settings.

The trailer did not have brakes fitted independently of the Land Rover and was not securely hitched, resulted in it coming free of the towbar when van Steen went over a pothole. It veered onto the pavement and ‘crushed’ the schoolboy, who was a pedestrian, between the vehicle and a fence, and left him with ‘catastrophic’ life-changing injuries.

The Crown Prosecution Service’s case is that as the driver and owner of the trailer, van Steen should have been aware of the defects.

The 1,360kg trailer was large enough to legally require its owner to fit brakes to it, but experts for both the prosecution and defence agreed that the braking system was ‘non-existent’ with no components fitted to the wheels.

His defence counsel claim that it was ‘difficult for the driver to determine the presence of brakes’, and that additional testing had to be carried out after the collision to establish this. An employee had attached the trailer, and van Steen conducted checks and tests before setting off via the motorway for his yard.

The court was told that the entrepreneur has no previous convictions and is a man of ‘good character’ who is respectable and contributes to his community.

Van Steen initially denied causing serious injury by dangerous driving, and with the case listed for trial, Recorder of Sheffield Judge Jeremy Richardson KC urged him to consider his plea.

Judge Richardson said: “The Crown has a viable case here. Your driving fell below the standards of what is reasonably required. You are not some man who drives around who couldn’t care less, or a slapdash rag and bone man. You are entirely respectable. A mistake was made, but it may not be the most culpable.”

Following discussions between the defendant and both legal teams, it was agreed to reduce the charge to dangerous driving, to which van Steen pleaded not guilty to and the trial commenced.

Experts were asked to decide on whether the defects to the brakes could have been reasonably spotted by a driver.

Van Steen is the director of a number of Doncaster-based businesses, including SensoryPlus Ltd, which specialises in equipment and rooms for those with disabilities and special needs, and Axita, an IT solutions firm. He also owns and rents out affordable property.

From 2015 until 2017, he organised the Doncaster Business Cup, a charity event. After completing a Masters degree in computer science at the University of Hull, he undertook officer training at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst.

The trial, scheduled to last three days, continues before a jury.