Cookstown hotel crush: Two to stand trial over teenagers' deaths

Lauren Bullock, 17, Morgan Barnard, 17, and 16-year-old Connor Currie died in 2019

The owner of a Cookstown hotel and a member of security staff have been returned for trial on charges connected of the deaths of three teenagers.

Lauren Bullock, Morgan Barnard and Connor Currie died in a crush in 2019.

They were among hundreds of people queuing to enter the Greenvale Hotel on St Patrick's Day that year.

Michael McElhatton, 57, of Rock Road Moneymore and Seamus Mitchell, 45, of Mullan Road, Coagh are jointly charged with their unlawful killing.

As a director of the company Tobin Limited, Mr McElhatton is further charged with failing to ensure that non-employed persons were not exposed to health and safety risks.

Mr Mitchell is accused of being a self-employed person who failed to ensure persons were not exposed to risk.

In a ruling on Wednesday, District Judge Michael Ranaghan said the victims lost their lives from compression asphyxia caused by crowd crush and, "The prosecution say Mr McElhatton failed to protect persons not in his employment and Mr Mitchell is said to be self-employed and, in that capacity, failed to conduct his responsibilities to others."

The event was sold as a "queue-skip" system whereby bus-operators organise the trip and patrons pay them to be transported and provided with a ticket which gets them into the venue without having to queue.

The judge continued, "To describe the event as a tragedy is an understatement. Conor, Lauren and Morgan lost their lives that night ... I hope using their names gives them a voice in these proceedings.

"They went out to have fun as teenagers do. I cannot comprehend the pain they are suffering. I hope they know I am aware of the loss they have suffered. The outcome of that day was horrible for all parties."

He continued, "Mr McElhatton and Mr Mitchell did not mean to cause any harm. That is not the prosecution case. It is a breach of duty of care to Conor, Lauren and Morgan and the prosecution say they are criminally liable and there was a fundamental failure to ensure the safety of persons."

This was the scene at the hotel in Cookstown the day after the deaths

The defence argued the prosecution had failed to establish their clients had failed in their duty of care and were therefore criminally liable.

However, Judge Ranaghan noted there had been issues at the Greenvale Hotel before which must have been known and the prosecution contend the event was oversold on "queue-skip" tickets alone, there was also no risk assessment and insufficient door staff on duty.

It is contended 56 safety breaches were found against both Mr McElhatton and Mr Mitchell.

A further 21 are alleged solely against Mr Mitchell.

Judge Ranaghan found as matters stand McElhatton and Mitchell owed an existing duty-of-care under their respective roles and, "There is a sufficiency of evidence to put before a jury to allow a determination as to whether there is a criminal sanction."

The committal proceeded with Mr McElhatton and Mr Mitchell speaking only to confirm their identities and that they understood the charges.

They were remanded on £500 bail to appear for arraignment on a date and court venue to be fixed.