Greenvale Hotel St Patrick's Day deaths: pair sent for trial on charges arising out of Cookstown tragedy

Lauren Bullock and Morgan Barnard, both 17, and Connor Currie, 16, died as a result of a crush involving hundreds of people queued to enter the hotel on St Patrick’s Day 2019.

Michael McElhatton (57) of Rock Road, Moneymore, and Seamus Mitchell (45) of Mullan Road, Coagh are jointly charged with unlawfully killing the three teenagers.

As a director of the company Tobin Limited, McElhatton is further charged with failing to ensure that non-employed persons were not exposed to health and safety risks.

Mitchell is accused of being a self-employed person who failed to ensure persons were not exposed to risk.

The case itself first reached Dungannon Magistrates Court on December 2, 2022, at which the case was scheduled to be returned straight to trial but numerous adjournments followed on the part of the defence.

In a ruling at Dungannon Court on Wednesday, District Judge Michael Ranaghan said that the victims lost their lives from compression asphyxia caused by crowd crush.

He continued: “The prosecution say Mr McElhatton failed to protect persons not in his employment and Mr Mitchell is said to be self-employed and, in that capacity, failed to conduct his responsibilities to others.”

He said McElhatton as a director of Tobin Limited (against which criminal proceedings are not challenged) was: “The controlling mind and acted in a hands-on capacity within the company and is contended personally and criminally liable. Mr Mitchell likewise as self-employed is, the prosecution say, criminally liable.”

Judge Ranaghan found as matters stand McElhatton and Mitchell owed an existing duty-of-care under their respective roles. "There is a sufficiency of evidence to put before a jury to allow a determination as to whether there is a criminal sanction," he added.

The committal proceeded with McElhatton and Mitchell speaking only to confirm their identities and that they understood the charges against them.

They were remanded on £500 bail to appear for arraignment on a date and court venue to be fixed.