4 charged over death of man after he was restrained by public transport workers

14 September 2023 , 15:11

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Four men will be charged with unlawful act manslaughter over the death of Jack Barnes (Image: PA)

Four men will be charged with unlawful act manslaughter over the death of Jack Barnes after he was restrained by public transport workers on the Manchester Metrolink tram system, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

The dad-of-one, from Hull, suffered a cardiac arrest and died seven weeks after the incident on October 11, 2016, which saw him restrained face-down on the pavement following an altercation at a railway station.

Metrolink's official policy at the time was that workers cannot "grab hold of a person" or "pursue a passenger either off the platform or trackside".

Rosemary Ainslie, head of the CPS special crime division, said on Thursday: "Paul Fogarty, 50, Brian Gartside, 59, Stephen Rowlands, 67, and Matthew Sellers, 29, who were staff members subcontracted by Metrolink at the time, are to be charged with unlawful act manslaughter. Mr Rowlands will also be charged with a single offence of perverting the course of justice relating to a witness statement."

Mr Barnes died seven weeks after the incident on October 11, 2016 (PA)

Mr Barnes was from Hull (PA)

An inquest held in 2021 found that Mr Barnes was unlawfully killed. The court heard he was restrained and held face down on the ground by subcontracted transport staff after being chased through the streets for several minutes, while body camera footage captured him pleading for his life, and telling the men that he was unable to breathe seven times.

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He was taken to Manchester Royal Infirmary, where he stayed until November 17, 2016. The court heard he had suffered from frequent 'visually evident' seizures and numerous episodes of ventilator-associated pneumonia.

A brain scan showed damage consistent with him suffering from a hypoxic ischaemic brain injury, caused by a lack of oxygen or blood flow. He was later transferred to a hospital in Hull, where his condition continued to deteriorate until he passed away on December 2 the same year.

HM senior coroner for Manchester, Nigel Meadows, said at the time: "Jack's cardiac arrest was caused by a combination of factors involving the consumption of synthetic cannabinoids, the physical exertion of being chased for over 1,000 metres as well as an element of resistance to restraint in the initial stages but also the prolonged restraint itself and the unreasonable and excessive force used to do so."

Speaking after the inquest, Transport for Greater Manchester chief executive, Eamonn Boylan said: "This was a tragic and deeply upsetting incident and we have worked closely with both Greater Manchester Police (GMP) and the Coroner's office to ensure the full facts surrounding Jack's death were thoroughly investigated. There were clear policies and training in place at the time of the incident, which those involved that evening completely disregarded."

Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas