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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
National
Neil Pooran

Evidence to be heard next week in paramotor crash fatal accident inquiry

Sacha Dench is expected to give evidence later in the FAI (Andrew Milligan/PA) - (PA Archive)

Evidence will be heard online next week in the fatal accident inquiry (FAI) into a mid-air paramotor collision which led to the death of a camera operator.

Dan Burton, 54, died after his paramotor was involved in a collision with one flown by his colleague, the climate activist, Sacha Dench, who is known as the “human swan”, in September 2021.

Ms Dench survived the crash but suffered serious injuries.

She was attempting a 3,000-mile, round Britain by paramotor challenge to highlight climate change ahead of the Cop26 conference when the incident happened near Loch Na Gainmhich in Sutherland.

On Monday, a preliminary hearing for the FAI was told that Amber Eames, who was involved in a previous project with Ms Dench, will give evidence online on Tuesday January 13.

Fiscal depute Jemma Eadie said she expected Ms Dench to give “fairly extensive evidence” when she appears in person, which would take longer than one day.

Ms Eadie said: “It is my position that it would be inadvisable to have her evidence part-heard.”

Sheriff Neil Wilson said a scheduled date for the FAI on January 16 would be discharged.

The FAI will reconvene on March 2 at Tain Sheriff Court and hear evidence for five days, he said.

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