Greenvale Hotel: Family 'kept in dark' over Cookstown hotel deaths

Lauren Bullock, 17, Morgan Barnard, 17, and 16-year-old Connor Currie, died three years ago

The family of a teenager killed in a crush outside a disco have said they have been "kept in the dark" about what happened.

It comes as Justice Minister Naomi Long stuck to an earlier decision not to hold a public inquiry.

Lauren Bullock, 17, Morgan Barnard, 17, and Connor Currie, 16, died as hundreds queued outside the Greenvale Hotel in Cookstown on March 17, 2019.

Mrs Long believes an inquiry could prejudice any criminal proceedings.

The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) is currently examining evidence gathered in two separate inquiries and has yet to decide if anyone should be charged, including police officers who attended the scene.

Speaking to BBC News NI, Morgan's father, James Bradley, said the system had "kept us in the dark as to what happened".

"Life is going at a snail's pace, but the next thing three years have elapsed," he said.

"A public inquiry would expose all the truth, the before, the during and the after."

Four police officers who arrived at the scene withdrew for a time to await further support.

"I think there were vital minutes lost. I really believe Morgan's life would have been saved. We will find that out later down the line," Mr Bradley added.

"The 'what if Morgan had not gone?' has moved to 'what if things had been put in place better on the night, what if the response had been better?'

"The what-ifs have widened."

James Bradley's son Morgan Barnard died as hundreds queued outside a hotel in Cookstown

Calls for a public inquiry, or a multi-agency investigation, were first made last year, amid concerns that lessons have not been learned.

Initially supported by the Police Ombudsman, they were recently backed by the Police Federation.

Mrs Long has been reconsidering an initial decision not to hold a public inquiry and in a statement her department said she still felt "it would not currently be appropriate" ahead of decisions by the PPS.

"The minister is deeply aware of the pain and the anguish of the families," the statement added.

She said the matter would be reviewed in September.

The justice minister has also written to ministerial colleagues "to urge them to satisfy themselves that all appropriate steps have been taken within their areas of responsibility to mitigate the possibility of a tragedy such as this occurring in the future".

The statement also pointed out that any decision to hold a public inquiry required executive approval.

A solicitor for the family says a public inquiry is needed to prevent something similar happening again

Darragh Mackin, the solicitor acting for the family of Morgan Barnard, said it was likely Mrs Long's decision will be challenged by a judicial review.

He said "a systemic investigation", by way of a public inquiry, was necessary "to learn lessons and prevent further incidents like this happening again".