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The Herald Scotland
9 hours ago
- General
- The Herald Scotland
Stonehaven victims remembered five years on from rail crash
Poor track conditions caused by heavy rain had forced the train to return to Aberdeen Station. Passenger Christopher Stuchbury, 62, driver Brett McCullough, 45, and conductor Donald Dinnie, 58, died, while six others were injured. Christopher Stuchbury, Donald Dinnie, and Brett McCullough (L-R) were killed after the train derailed near Stonehaven. On Tuesday, the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), paid tribute to the trio and called on Network Rail to implement all of the safety recommendations made in a 2022 report. As of the Rail Accident Investigation Branch's most recent report, published earlier this year, 8 of the 20 recommendations remain 'open', which means they have yet to be fully addressed. Recommendations included taking action to correct faulty drainage design, control room functions, and train crashworthiness, as well as other 'critical safety issues'. RMT General Secretary Eddie Dempsey said: 'Our thoughts today are with the families of Donald, Brett and Chris, and with those injured and traumatised in the crash. "But remembrance alone is not enough – there must be action, and it needs to be urgent. 'It is outrageous that five years after the accident took place, and three years since the RAIB set out what needed to change, that so many safety recommendations are still outstanding. "We demand better – for those we lost, for those who survived and for the safety of every worker and passenger going forward." Read more: 'Outrageous': Scots rail safety fears after Carmont crash as upgrades 'cut' by £127m Fatal Accident Inquiry to be held following Stonehaven train derailment Hundreds line the streets to pay tribute to Stonehaven train conductor However, a Network Rail statement said that 'meaningful progress' had been made over the last five years. It read: 'Since August 2020, we've been working hard to make our railway safer for passengers and colleagues. "We're investing more than £400m in projects to strengthen the railway's resilience to increasingly unpredictable weather." "Meaningful progress has been made on the recommendations from the Carmont investigation, which includes co-ordinated action across all Network Rail routes, and we continue to work closely with the ORR, train operators, and other key stakeholders." Network Rail was fined £6.7m in 2023 as a result of the crash, and more than £1m was later paid out to settle a series of civil suits. An initial Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) hearing into the causes of the derailment is set to be held on August 28th.
Daily Record
4 days ago
- Daily Record
Probe launched into death of vulnerable prisoner who took life days after suicide watch stopped
Conor McHugh, 29, was found dead in his cell at HMP Kilmarnock on September 8, 2020, just two days before he was due to be released. The death of a vulnerable young prisoner who took his own life days after being removed from suicide watch is to be probed at a Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI). Conor McHugh, 29, died at HMP Kilmarnock on September 8, 2020. He was serving a four month sentence after being convicted for a breach of the peace but began to struggle with his mental health behind bars. His mum, Gail Donaghy, previously told the Record that her son had been diagnosed with psychosis by the in-house mental health team after he attempted to take his own life. But despite being referred to a psychiatrist - who Conor allegedly never saw - his health continued to declin e and he began hearing voices. He made a second attempt on his life on September 3 and was rushed to hospital for treatment before being returned to the prison. His mum claims a decision was then made to remove him from suicide watch - which involves 15 minute welfare checks - and back into general population. Conor was tragically found dead in his prison cell just two days before he was due to be released. Speaking to the Record at the time, Gail, from Kilmarnock, said: 'I'm not condoning his behaviour but the jail have a lot to answer for. 'He was still my son, regardless of what he did, he was still my boy. 'He was crying out for mental health assistance and he never got it. 'He had spoken to someone on the mental health team back in June, who diagnosed him with psychosis, and he was supposed to be seeing a psychiatrist within two weeks. 'But now it's months later and that never happened.' Gail said that Conor had " wasted away" to skin and bones during his term at the jail. She went to visit him in hospital after the second suicide attempt and was left horrified at her son's visible decline. She said: 'He was still sitting in his blood stained clothes. He was really struggling that day and said to me 'will I ever be free?' 'Everyone who knew him noticed the decline in him over the last few months. Before, he was the life and soul of the party and always had a smile on his face. "And then suddenly, within months, he was a shadow of himself, wasting away to skin and bone. He wasn't himself at all." A Fatal Accident Inquiry into Conor's death will be held at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court. A continued preliminary hearing is scheduled to take place on October 22. The purpose of an FAI includes determining the cause of death, the circumstances in which the death occurred, and to establish what reasonable precautions could have been taken to minimise the risk of future deaths in similar circumstances Unlike criminal proceedings, FAIs are inquisitorial in nature, and are used to establish facts rather than apportion blame.
STV News
01-08-2025
- STV News
Joint FAIs to be held into drowning deaths of schoolboy and man in River Tay
A joint inquiry is to be held into separate fatal water incidents involving a schoolboy and a man five years apart in the River Tay. A Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) will be held into the deaths of Kayden Walker, 12, from Glasgow, and Ruaridh Stevenson, 39, from Cupar. Kayden, from Bridgeton, died in the river after getting into difficulty while boogie boarding with a youth group at Stanley, north of Perth. The 12-year-old became separated from his board during the activity and was trapped on the upstream side of a weir while on a day trip with the Church House community group. The schoolboy, whose activity consent form stated that he was unable to swim ten metres without the assistance of a flotation device, was the last child to go over the weir between two Church House employees. After it was noticed the schoolboy's board had resurfaced, an instructor from Outdoor Pursuits Scotland went to the top of the weir and reached into the water to locate the missing 12-year-old. He discovered Kayden at an arm's length under the water's surface, but was unable to pull him out. After around three and a half minutes he eventually managed to free him but the force of the water carried Kayden down the weir where the company's director caught him and immediately started to perform CPR. Kayden was airlifted to Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, before he was transported to Glasgow's Royal Hospital for Children. He died the following day on July 29, 2019. Perth and Kinross Council launched an investigation following the death and found that the company's risk assessment for river boarding did not have adequate health and safety control measures in place. A further inquiry carried out by the Crown included taking opinion from a water activities expert. The expert's view was that the company should have always had one instructor directly below and one instructor in a kayak above the weir until all the group members had successfully negotiated the rapid. The FAI's announcement comes after Outdoor Pursuits Scotland Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety legislation at Perth Sheriff Court on October 21, 2024, and was fined £10,000. It will also investigate the death of Ruaridh Stevenson, 39, who drowned after attempting to assist a client who experienced difficulties in the waters flowing through Dollar Glen, Stirlingshire on April 13, 2024. Mr Stevenson was a director of a company which offered 'canyoning' experiences on Scottish rivers. The inquiry into Stevenson's death is mandatory because it happened during working hours, while the Crown said it was voluntarily holding an FAI into Kayden's death. A preliminary hearing has been set for September 2, 2025, at Falkirk Sheriff Court. The purpose of a Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) includes determining the cause of death; the circumstances in which the deaths occurred, and to establish what, if any, reasonable precautions could have been taken, and could be implemented in the future, to minimise the risk of future deaths in similar circumstances. Procurator Fiscal Andy Shanks, who leads on fatalities investigations for COPFS, said: 'The Lord Advocate considers that the deaths of Ruaridh Stevenson and Kayden Walker occurred in similar circumstances, both deaths occurring while they were engaged in water based outdoor activities. 'The lodging of the First Notice enables FAI proceedings to commence under the direction of the Sheriff. The families of Ruaridh and Kayden will continue to be kept informed of significant developments as court proceedings progress.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
STV News
31-07-2025
- STV News
Family of man scalded to death in bath slam hotel's maintenance failures
The family of a man who was scalded to death in a bath has slammed the maintenance failures of the Perthshire hotel. Wallace Hunter, 75, a retired precision engineer, died from 83% burns after going for a shower on the final day of a coach trip with his wife to the Pitlochry Hydro Hotel in December 2019. Efforts to rescue him were hampered by the fact that the bathroom door opened outwards, bolted on the inside, and had no exterior emergency release as would be the case in new buildings. When it was finally opened, Mr Hunter, from Eaglesham, was found in a bath of water so 'scalding' that when a police officer tried to pull out the plug, it came away in his hands. Firefighters had to wear protective gloves to lift him out. A Fatal Accident Inquiry concluded that the hotel's maintenance failures played a crucial part in the death of the 75-year-old. Staff received a number of complaints regarding the temperature of the water. A previous guest of room 221 described the shower's temperature control as 'iffy'. Facebook/Pitlochry Hydro Hotel The incident took place at the Pitlochry Hydro Hotel The complaints were never completed in a logbook, meaning no action was taken. The inquiry noted that the bath's thermostatic mixing valve (TMV), which allows both hot and cold water to mix, was faulty. The FAI also stated that Mr Hunter may have been saved if the bathroom door lock had been accessible from the outside. A number of precautions, including annual maintenance work on bath taps, analysis of guest complaints and the fitting of bathroom lock releases, were laid out in the inquiry. Mr Hunter's family say the ruling is the 'most difficult thing' they have ever read. In a joint statement, son Keir and his daughter Kimberley said: 'It describes in full detail our Dad's excruciating and drawn out final moments but also shines a light on the fact that his death could and would have been avoided had the hotel used qualified maintenance staff and had the most basic of maintenance regimes in place for its hot water supply. 'The fault which caused our father's death had been complained about by many previous guests and was well known to the hotel management. 'They ignored these warnings. We are frankly appalled that this hotel was allowed to open its doors to the public in 21st-century Scotland.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Daily Record
31-07-2025
- Daily Record
More workers killed in Scotland than anywhere else in UK as figures show 'alarming' rise in deaths
The data for 2024/25 reveals that 26 people died in Scotland due to workplace accidents, an increase on the 18 deaths reported year before. A shocking new report has found that more workers were killed in Scotland than anywhere else in the UK - with the latest figures showing an 'alarming' rise in deaths since last year. The data for 2024/25 reveals that 26 people died in Scotland due to workplace accidents, an increase on the 18 deaths reported year before. The research, gathered by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), also shows Scotland's rate of fatal injury has increased from 0.65 to 0.93 meaning there is nearly one death for every 100,000 Scottish workers. Construction, agriculture, forestry and transport industries saw the most tragedies due falls from height, being struck by moving objects or collapsing equipment. In February we told how the family of a dad who was fatally injured after falling through a roof just weeks into a new job had won a six-figure compensation fight. Tragic Ross Hanratty, 28, plunged 30ft to his death while working on an industrial at Seafield Industrial Estate in Edinburgh in October 2022. Ross, from Paisley, hadn't been warned the roof he was cleaning was dangerously fragile so left his safety harness unattached. And in July Prestwick Airport were fined more than £140,000 for failures that led to the death of experienced member of its ground handling team Joseph Dempsey. The 59-year-old died on July 11, 2023 when a corroded guardrail gave way and he fell to the tarmac below. Fish farm worker Clive Hendry, 58, was crushed between a boat and a floating pontoon before slipping into the water during a 'touch and go' transfer at salmon giant Mowi's Ardintoul site in the North West Highlands in February 2020. The company was fined £800,000 after being found to have breached health and safety laws - and a Fatal Accident Inquiry into Clive's death later concluded it could have been avoided after there were a multitude of failures identified. The latest UK-wide data showed men accounted for 95% of all fatalities while 40% of all incidents involved people over the age of 60. Campaigners said the figures cause concern and called for tougher punishment on employers who fail to keep workers safe. David Bell, Senior Associate at law firm Irwin Mitchell who specialises in fatal accident claims, said: 'To see the fatal workplace rate increase so sharply over seven months is truly alarming. 'The HSE data is really useful and contributes to making various sectors safer but ultimately it falls to employers as all too often fatal workplace accidents are the result of negligence when corners have been cut on PPE, safe working processes or completing risk assessments. 'I urge officials to review what could be done to guarantee safety compliance at the beginning of tasks rather than review safety procedures in hindsight – I believe tougher penalties on those who fail to follow basic life-saving guidance would also be beneficial. 'Because the real tragedy is these 26 Scottish incidents represent 26 families, each now without a loved one and facing a painful and uncertain future. 'No one deserves to go to work feeling that they or their loved one may not return home.'
