Brains Brewery fined £140k after punter fractures skull

Brains Brewery has been fined £140,000 after a customer fell through an unlocked cellar door and fractured his skull, leaving him with serious head injuries.

The victim, who has not been named, was in the Park pub in Barry, Wales, last February when the door was left open for cleaning staff and he plunged down a concrete flight of stairs. 

He was knocked unconscious and suffered a fractured skull and bleed on the brain. The man is still receiving treatment for issues connected to the incident.

A case was brought against the brewery by the Vale of Glamorgan Council, together with Bridgend and Cardiff councils. The brewery pleaded guilty to one offence under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 for failing to ensure the health and safety of a non-employee.

At a hearing in Cardiff Magistrates Court, SA Brains was fined £140,000, ordered to pay costs of £11,835.48 and a victim surcharge of £170.

Councillor Hunter Jarvie, Vale of Glamorgan Council Cabinet member for Legal and Regulatory Services, said: “This was a grave mistake that led to an individual suffering significant, long-lasting injuries.

“As a Council, we take our duty of care to the public extremely seriously and will continue to pursue companies that do not adhere properly to health and safety legislation. “Hopefully this sends out a message that such legislation must be followed rigorously and that there are severe consequences if it is not.”