Phil Selway gives evidence at the Scott Johnson inquest

Phil Selway gave evidence on Monday 25 March, the first day of the coroner's inquest in Toronto into the death of Scott Johnson, Radiohead's drum technician. Johnson, 33 and from Doncaster, was killed on 16 June 2012 when the roof of the stage at Downsview Park came down while he was tuning the drums, about an hour before the band were due to play. Three others were hurt. CBC News has its report from the court.

Selway called Johnson a vital part of the band and his good friend, on top of his game². I'm outraged by the lack of justice, the lack of accountability and what I can only perceive to be a complete failure of the justice system¹, he told the court. Radiohead feels this is a travesty and insult to the memory of Scott.¹

Selway told the inquest the band heard a very loud sound of breaking glass, rising to a crescendo, before they learned what had happened. The collapse has made us vulnerable where we used to feel secure.² Radiohead have since changed how their stages are designed, and hire a tour engineer to check safety whenever third parties are involved.

Ontario's Ministry of Labour charged the promoter Live Nation, Optex Staging and Services and the engineer Domenic Cugliari in 2013. Two trials never finished, and in 2017 the charges were stayed because the case had taken too long. Live Nation denied wrongdoing. Because the park is federal land, the coroner's counsel told the jury, Ontario's building code did not apply and nobody outside checked the structure.

The inquest, before the coroner David Cameron, is expected to hear some 25 witnesses over about three weeks. Its jury cannot assign blame, but it can recommend how to prevent deaths like Johnson's. Outside the court Selway said that hearing Johnson's father had brought home what it has meant for the family.

Ken Johnson flew in from England to attend every day and was the first witness. He spoke about his son rather than the accident, about Scott's belief in fairness, and about the 20 electronic drum kits that donations since his death have bought for schools. Hundreds of children have learned to play on them.