The mansion owners have been accused of safety breaches over the death of Paul Marsden, 47, who was weedkilling on the all-terrain vehicle on their country estate.
The quad bike tipped over when Mr Marsden was working on “rough” fields at the home belonging to Nicholas Prest, 71, and his wife Anthea, 70.
The pair are accused of failing to give adequate safety gear or training to gardeners working at the estate.
A court heard Mr Marsden was discovered “blue” and unable to breath after being pinned under the vehicle. He died from asphyxia.
David Whitton, of the Health and Safety Executive, investigated Mr Marsden’s death and said the field was steep, rough and uneven and not suitable for the quad-bike to be loaded with the weedkiller.
He said: “The quad bike is an off-road vehicle and I considered it generally suitable for this type of terrain without the spray-tank on it.
“With the addition of the extra mass of the spray-tank it would increase the centre of gravity and make it more likely to be able to lose control.”
Mr Whitton said an owners’ manual that came with the quadbike gave specific warning about riding on steep hills and carrying out safety checks before boarding.
Former Ministry of Defence official Mr Prest and his wife are each accused of two charges under the Health and Safety at Work act in relation to Mr Marsden’s death – but do not face charges of manslaughter.
Instead they are accused over charges of failing to check workers had protective equipment and that the quad bike was safe to use.
On the day of the tragedy Mr Marsden brought cake to share with colleague Nicholas Miles during their break.
Mr Miles, who had been power washing around the couple’s swimming pool and surrounding garden furniture, said he began to get concerned when Mr Marsden didn’t arrive.
He went back to work after his break and stopped for lunch around 1.05pm. When Mr Miles did not turn up, he went to look for him.
“I could see the quadbike had turned over,” he said. “Initially I was hoping he would be stood next to it.
“It was turned over. When I got close enough to see I could see he was underneath it.
“The quadbike had come down on his back and he was pinned to the ground with his arms out-stretched.
“Initially I shouted to him as I was getting closer and closer but as I got up close I could see that he had started to go blue.”
Mr Marsden had worked for the couple since 2013 and had been using a quad bike to spray weed killer on farmland surrounding their home when he fell in April 2020.
Prosecutor James Puzey said Mr and Mrs Prest “had a legal responsibility to ensure that the workers on their land were safe.”
But he said they failed to do what they “would have and should have done” to prevent the accident by not providing adequate training and PPE.
Mr Puzey said a Health and Safety Executive investigation “concluded that the use of the quadbike was seriously unsafe, and that no suitable safety precautions were taken beforehand”.
He said: “There were a series of factors here that would have increased the risk of an accident such as this happening. Mr and Mrs Prest would have and should have done something to control that risk.”
Keith Morton KC, defending, said Mr Marsden was working on a self-employed basis and was working at his own risk.
Mr Prest previously worked for the MoD before setting up his own companies and is now the chairman of defence technology giant Cohort.
The trial, at Newport Crown Court, continues.
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