Theme park faces £ 2.5m fine over death of girl, 11
A THEME park is facing a fine of up to £ 2.5million after a girl died following a “constellation of failures”, a court has heard.
Evha Jannath, 11, drowned after being “propelled” from the Splash Canyon ride at Drayton Manor in Staffordshire.
Barristers for the attraction – which is now in administration – indicated yesterday they would enter a guilty plea to a breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act.
The charge relates to a failure to ensure the safety of park guests.
Health and Safety Executive barrister Ben Mills told the hearing that Evha had been on a school trip with friends from Jameah Girls Academy, Leicester, when the incident happened on May 9, 2017.
She survived being thrown from the water ride but suffered a significant chest injury and fell off a conveyor belt as she tried to scramble off the ride.
He told the hearing at Cannock Magistrates’ Court: “The depth of the water there was beyond her head height and she tragically drowned.
“The accident was caused by a constellation of different failures, relating to the safety of the public on the ride.
“The failures were at an organisational level and not levelled at the individuals seeking on the day, no doubt, to do their very best.”
He highlighted failings including inadequate signage for those on the ride, inadequate training for staff, “an element of under- staffing” and “a lack of emergency planning”; while static CCTV “only covered 50 per cent of the course”.
He said Drayton Manor’s latest accounts showed it turned over £ 24million in 2019, and suggested a fine “with a range of £ 600,000 to £ 2.5million”. But he noted it was “imperative” any sentencing happened before the company was “formally dissolved”.
Richard Matthews QC, representing Drayton Manor, said: “The extent of failures and nature of them are something that isn’t necessarily all agreed.”
Sentencing was adjourned to next year at Stafford Crown Court.