Joseph Holt brewery admits failures after customer died falling down pub steps

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

A brewery has admitted health and safety failures after the death of a pub customer in Bolton. Elaine Horrocks, 54, fell down the cellar steps of the Rosehill Tavern, in Westhoughton, during a night out on January 13, 2018.

She later died in hospital. During a hearing at Bolton Crown Court, barrister Harry Vann, appearing on behalf of Joseph Holt Limited, pleaded guilty to failure to take reasonable measures to ensure that the premises were safe and without risks to health. READ MORE : Man left unwanted gifts outside neighbour's home after threatening to slit her throat and kill her dad The particulars of the offence were that 'being a legal person having control of the premises known as Rosehill Tavern, 321 Leigh Road, Bolton, failed to take such measures as was reasonably practicable, that the premises were safe in that the means of access onto (and egress from) the stairway leading into the cellar area presented a risk of falling, and was not safe for persons using it'.

Landlady Kellie McGarry, 49, of The Crescent, Westhoughton, was previously charged with two breaches of health and safety laws but prosecution barrister Simon Hilton offered no evidence for either count.

In her absence, The Honorary Recorder of Bolton Judge Martin Walsh found her not guilty of 'failure to ensure so far as reasonably practicable the health, safety and welfare at work of employees' and 'failure to conduct a business to ensure so far as was reasonably practicable that patrons of the business were not exposed to risks to their health and safety'.