Star City cinema seat death inquest: Mechanism 'missing metal bar'

Ateeq Rafiq died after becoming trapped under the footrest of a Gold Class chair at Vue cinema based at StarCity in Birmingham

A cinema chair which fatally trapped a man was missing a bar allowing it to be lifted by hand, jurors have heard.

Father-of-one Ateeq Rafiq died in March last year a week after his head got stuck in an automatic footrest at the Vue multiplex at Star City in Birmingham.

Jurors heard chair firm Figueras International say it had sent motor replacement kits which included the metal bar.

Vue said it had never received these.

The hearing at Birmingham Coroner's Court previously heard staff had to use a wrench to free Mr Rafiq, who suffered "catastrophic" brain injuries.

He got stuck in the Gold Class premium seat as he searched for his phone and keys.

A Health and Safety Executive spokesman told jurors Mr Rafiq would have been able to get out had his seat been fitted with a single-acting "push" actuator.

The court heard how the part was taken out of the supply chain by Figueras after complaints about part of it breaking.

A double-acting "push-pull" actuator was supplied as part of the kit containing the metal bar, the firm said.

This bar was to be fitted to the footrest, enabling it to be lifted manually.

Mr Rafiq's chair was found not to have the metal bar fitted and the new motor had been connected directly to the footrest, the inquest heard.

The actuators "couldn't simply be swapped," Daniel Surrallés, a project manager for Figueras told jurors.

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Coroner Emma Brown said: "Do you agree that that with the double-acting actuator fitted directly to the footrest there is a serious risk of entrapment?

Mr Surrallés said: "Yes there is."

Daniel Surrallés, a project manager for Figueras gave evidence at the inquest earlier

"Had the intermediary bar and the spring been fitted to the footrest, would there have been such a risk?" Coroner Brown asked.

"No I don't think so" Mr Surrallés replied.

The inquest continues.