I can’t move forward until I know the facts
MUM’S PLEA OVER SON’S DEATH AT CAMERON HOUSE
THE mum of Cameron House fire victim Simon Midgley has told of her “frustration” as she continues to fight for justice approaching the tragedy’s fourth anniversary.
Jane Midgley welcomed the Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) preliminary hearing, which will be held at Paisley Sheriff Court on January 11.
However, she said she was angry to be entering the fifth year since Simon’s death still searching for answers.
Simon, 32, and partner Richard Dyson, 38, died in the fire at the Loch Lomond hotel on the morning of December 18, 2017.
A total of 214 guests fled the inferno – 189 adults and 25 children – which started after porter Christopher O’Malley, 36, placed a bag of ash from a fire into a cupboard.
But Simon and Richard were unable to escape.
In January, Cameron House was fined £500,000 after pleading guilty to a string of fire safety failures and O’Malley, of Lennox Street, was sentenced to 300 hours of unpaid work.
The Crown Office announced in April that an FAI would not go ahead, stating it was “satisfied the reasons for this tragedy have been established”.
But after an appeal from Jane Midgley, the Crown reviewed this decision and stated in June that an FAI will go ahead.
She said: “I’m still very upset and emotional. I’ve got yet another Christmas and anniversary to get through and I’m still having to wait.”
She said proving her son was working while at the hotel formed part of her appeal.
She said: “He was doing a travel review and I had to find proof of that, which we managed to find. She hopes that an FAI will address questions the court cases didn’t, including why the hotel, which reopened in September, wasn’t shut down after failing to action fire warnings and why the two men couldn’t escape.
She added: “It is not going to bring Simon and Richard back but I’m doing this to get answers so this doesn’t happen again.”
Dumbarton MSP Jackie Baillie said: “We need to make sure we prevent this from happening again.
“That would be a fitting tribute to Simon and Richard.”
A Crown Office spokesperson said: “We will continue to keep the families of those involved fully informed and answer any questions they may have about the process in the run-up to and during the FAI.”