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The former operator of Drayton Manor theme park has been fined £1m after a girl died on a ride in 2017, but the penalty will never be paid as the company is in administration
Tom Anstey | Planet Attractions | 18 Mar 2021
The Splash Canyon ride at Drayton Manor has remained closed since Evha Jannath's death in 2019 Credit: bannister
The former operator of Drayton Manor theme park has been handed a £1m (US$1.39m, €1.17m) fine following the death of an 11-year-old-girl at the park in May 2017.
Evha Jannath was on the Splash Canyon Rapids Ride at the park during a school trip, when she was “propelled” into the water when her boat hit a barrier.
In 2019, an inquest jury was told she had been standing up and "reaching into the water", breaching the park's rules. Jurors were also told the emergency stop button for the rapids ride was not pressed for 10 minutes after staff were informed a child was in the water. The inquest concluded her death was accidental.
During a sentencing hearing at Stafford Crown Court today (18 March) Mr Justice Spencer said: "This was an utterly tragic waste of a young life,” adding that there was "no prospect of the fine being paid", given the company operating the park at the time - Drayton Manor Park Ltd - had since gone into administration.
The park was sold to the Looping Group in August 2020 after entering administration. The company runs a number of attractions in Europe, including West Midland Safari Park and Pleasurewood Hills in the UK.
“The public and Evha's family must not be led to think that this serious offence, which resulted in the death of a child, can properly be met by only a nominal financial penalty,” said Mr Justice Spencer.
“In my judgment it would be wholly inappropriate to do other than impose the fine which the offence merited.
“No sentence of the court can begin to reflect the tragedy of this case for Evha's family.”
Representing Drayton Manor Park Ltd, Richard Matthews said that the park had cooperated with the HSE investigation fully and had no previous convictions.
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