Initial response to fatal hotel disco crush referred to Ombudsman
Police officers who responded to an incident at a hotel in Northern Ireland that resulted in the death of three teenagers are to face investigation after it emerged they initially withdrew from the scene.
Morgan Barnard, 17, Lauren Bullock, 17, and Connor Currie, 16, died following a crush near the entrance to the Greenvale Hotel in Cookstown on St Patrick’s Day as hundreds of people attempted to enter the venue to attend a disco.
Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Chief Constable George Hamilton has referred the actions of the officers to the Police Ombudsman, Dr Michael Maguire, who will now examine how police responded when the first emergency call was made at around 9.30pm.
PSNI Deputy Chief Constable Stephen Martin said: “The ongoing investigation into the tragic events at the Greenvale Hotel is active and wide-ranging. As part of that investigation, it is right and proper that the actions of all those involved are considered.
“Part of the investigation has included a review of the initial police response. The first police officers arrived at the hotel grounds shortly after receiving the 999 report. Following their initial assessment, they made attempts to establish more detail and information about what was happening and subsequently withdrew to await further police support.
“When the first ambulance arrived, police moved forward in support of them. The timing and nature of police actions during this period require further investigation to fully establish the facts.
“The chief constable has therefore decided that the initial police response should be subject to independent scrutiny and it is in the public interest to refer the circumstances and the nature of the actions of the first officers arriving at the scene to the Police Ombudsman. The families have been informed of the referral.”
