In May 2023, a customer fell to her death at the Langton Arms in Market Harborough, which is owned by RedCat Pub Company.
Julie Hyatt, who was aged 57, had been looking for the toilets during a Sunday lunch with friends when she opened the unlocked cellar door thinking it led to the restrooms and fell down an unlit staircase.
Failure to comply
Hyatt was taken to hospital, where she was diagnosed with a deadly brain injury, and passed away 12 days later.
On Thursday 19 June this year, Leicestershire Magistrates Court declared inadequate signage and failure to secure the cellar door had contributed to the tragedy, along with wider failings in risk assessments and training at the site.
After being prosecuted by Harborough District Council, RedCat was fined £240,000 at last week’s hearing for failing to comply with health and safety legislation.
The company, which was founded by Rooney Anand in 2021 and operates some 114 pubs across the UK, pleaded guilty to one count of breaching section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
Deepest condolences
RedCat CEO Richard Lewis said: “We would like to express our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Mrs. Hyatt.
“While it may offer little comfort, this tragic incident is something that has affected all of us in our business, where we have always sought to have premises that are safe, healthy and welcoming for both our guests and our teams.
“However, we must learn from this, and we have taken, and will continue to take, further steps to improve our systems and procedures to protect against anything of this nature ever happening again.”
