Young man died after fall at Pride Park Stadium
24-YEAR-OLD WAS ON XMAS NIGHT OUT WITH COLLEAGUES
A YOUNG man died after he fell from a staircase rail inside Pride Park Stadium.
Jack Watson died aged just 24 while at a work Christmas function at the stadium, an inquest has been told.
A YOUNG man died after he fell from a staircase rail inside Pride Park Stadium.
Jack Watson, 24, had been attending a work Christmas function at the home of Derby County, an inquest was told.
It is understood Mr Watson, who worked for Pride Park-based firm Expleo, fell from the rail at the end of the party at around midnight, yesterday’s hearing was told.
A police investigation started following Mr Watson’s death in November, 2019, but no action was taken.
The full circumstances surrounding his death will be heard when a full inquest is held later this year.
Several details about Mr Watson’s death were heard during the preinquest review, which was held at Derby and Derbyshire Coroners’ Court and virtually on Microsoft Teams due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A lawyer described the upsetting events as a “horrible and tragic” death.
It was heard how representatives from Club DCFC Limited, Derby City Council and Mr Watson’s employer Expleo, an engineering consultancy firm, were three of the “interested parties” involved with the inquest proceedings.
A pre-inquest review hearing is an administrative hearing which considers and addresses important matters beforehand so a full inquest can properly be heard.
Assistant coroner Tankya Rawden set Mr Watson’s inquest to take place between September 1 and
September 3, although that can change depending on circumstances.
She said: “The inquest needs to look at the details of the incident and that should include risk assessments for the venue and that particular event. The inquest will need to look at if those risk assessments were complied with and that will include the positioning of the door supervisors and how Jack came to be on the staircase rails and how he came to fall.”
Due to the circumstances regarding Mr Watson’s death, a jury will not be required, Mrs Rawden also confirmed.
Mr Watson’s parents and fiancee also attended the hearing.
Club DCFC Limited, Derbyshire Police and Derby City Council have all been approached for comment.
Club DCFC Limited said it was unable to provide a comment at this time.
A spokesperson for Derbyshire police said its own investigation was completed “a few weeks” after the incident and a file was passed to the coroner.
The inquest needs to look at the details of the incident and that should include risk assessments for the venue and that particular event. Asst coroner Tankya Rawden