Greenvale Hotel teenagers’ deaths case in court for first time

The tragic case of the deaths of the three teenagers outside a disco at the Greenvale Hotel in Cookstown on St Patricks’ Day 2019 has come before a court for the first time.

Students Connor Currie, age 16, and Lauren Bullock and Morgan Barnard, who were age 17, died in a fatal crush as hundreds queued at the door of the establishment.

Hotel owner Michael McElhatton (55) of Rock Road, Moneymore and Seamus Mitchell (44), a self-employed member of security staff, of Mullan Road, Coagh are charged with three counts of gross negligence manslaughter.

McElhatton is also accused of failing to ensure that persons not in his employment were not exposed to risk.

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

District Judge Peter Magill told Dungannon Magistrates Court that there is “is a lot of documentation involved” and the case would not be going forward now as a Preliminary Enquiry (PE).

Adjourning the hearing until January 27 next year, Judge Magill also described the case as ‘substantial’.