Directors plead guilty to hotel balcony plunge horror

The directors of a Brighouse hotel and restaurant pleaded guilty to breach of health and safety requirements following the collapse of one of its balconies which left five people seriously injured.
Emergency services attend balcony collapse at Casa, Brighouse.Emergency services attend balcony collapse at Casa, Brighouse.
Emergency services attend balcony collapse at Casa, Brighouse.

Jack McDaid and Sam Holmes, the directors of Casa Events Ltd, Elland Road, Brighouse, and Castelite Ltd, of York Place, Leeds, appeared at Bradford Crown Court charged with three counts of health and safety offences.

The accident happened on February 15, 2013, when Mr McDaid was showing four women around a first floor bridal suite and took them out onto the Riley suite and room one balcony, when it suddenly gave way.

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Defending, Naomi Gilchrist pleaded on behalf of the company directors.

Casa Events Limited pleaded guilty to breaching the 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act after failing to practicably ensure members of the public were not exposed to health and safety risks.

Castelite Limited and Casa Events Limited pleaded guilty to failing to meet the duty of care as required under the Act after failing to ensure the bridal suite balcony was safe for its employees.

The injured victims Vanessa Reynolds, Donna Waterhouse, Norma Mazeika and Michelle Mallinson were taken to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary with Casa’s owner McDaid being flown to Leeds General Infirmary by Yorkshire Air Ambulance with head injuries.

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One of the victims was admitted to intensive care with internal bleeding. The other three women were treated for broken bones.

One victim suffered a fractured right arm, another sustained multiple fractures of the arms and legs and a third female had a fractured femur.

A total of seven ambulances were called to the hotel and restaurant, along with an air ambulance.

Elland Road was shut between Brookfoot Lane and the layby past the restaurant towards Elland while emergency services dealt with the accident.

McDaid and Holmes will return to Bradford Crown Court in the new year, on a date yet to be confirmed, for sentencing.