'I am deeply sorry,' says Tom Harding, 1 of 3 men acquitted in Lac-Mgantic trial

Tom Harding, acquitted Fridayof criminal wrongdoing in the Lac-Mganticrail disaster, spoke publicly for the first time about what happened Monday.

"I cannot find the words sufficiently to express my sympathies," he said. "I am deeply sorry for my part of responsibility in this tragedy. I assume this responsibility now, and I will always assume it."

Harding read from a prepared statement, surrounded by members of his legal team at their officein Sherbrooke, Que.

Harding went on to thank his family as well as his lawyers.

"I want to thank my family, especially my brother Steve who stayed besideme, and who was present every day of the trial to support me."

He did not take questions.

Tom Harding speaks publicly after Megantic verdict

7 years ago

Duration 1:13

Harding thanked his family and his legal team.

Marathon trial

Neither Harding nor the other two former Montreal, Maine and Atlantic (MMA) railway workers indicted for their roles in the disaster testified in their own defence in the trial, which began last September.

Harding, ex-MMAoperations manager Jean Dematre, 53, and ex-rail traffic controller Richard Labrie, 59, were all acquitted on charges ofcriminal negligence causing 47 deaths.

Immediately following Friday's verdict,Harding was too overcome with emotionto make a statement, said Tom Walsh, one of Harding's lawyers.

• All 3MMArail workers acquitted inLac-Mganticdisaster trial
• A look back on key testimony from trial's first25 days

In all, 47 peopledied when a driverless 73-tanker-cartrain laden with highly volatilecrude oil ran down the track, derailed and exploded in downtown Lac-Mganticearly on July 6, 2013.

During the trial, the court heard that firefighters had shut down the lead locomotive's engine about an hour before the deadly derailment, when they were called to extinguish a fire that had broken out in the locomotive's smokestack. Shutting down the engine caused a loss of pressure in the air braking systemwhich was securing the train.

• Lac-Mgantic expert witness describes how fuel-car convoy became runaway train

Much of the Crown's caserevolved around the seven handbrakes Harding had applied to the trainwhether the engineer had tested them and how many would have been sufficient to secure the train properly.

The Crown argued that allthree menfailed to carry out their responsibilities on the night the runaway trainbarrelledintoLac-Mgantic.

Two other courtcases related to the rail disaster areunlikelyto proceedto the Federal Court of Canada, following an agreement between the Crown and the defence.

Walsh remindedreporters Monday that Harding planned tosubmit a guilty plea "for his nonconformity with the regulations under the Railway Safety Act with respect to securing rail vehicles."

He said Harding could face jail time as a result.

All parties are scheduled to be back in courtFeb. 5.

'These aren't killers'

Although some Lac-Mgantic residents found little solace in the verdicts, others met the acquittalswith relief includingJeanClusiault, whosedaughter Kathy died in the explosion.

ClusiaultsaidHarding,DematreandLabriedidn't deserve to be blamed for the fatal raildisaster and explosion.

"These are human beingswith familieswho worked hard all their lives,"Clusiaultsaid.

"These aren't killers. We treated them like killers."