‘Others to blame for Paul’s death’

8:25am Saturday 3rd February 2007

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BEACH lifeguards and resort staff must also be held accountable for the death of two-year-old Paul Gallagher, say his parents.

Manslaughter through negligence charges have been brought against the boat driver and owners of the craft which struck the toddler while he slept on a beach in the Bahamas in 2002.

But Paul and Andrea Gallagher, of Repton Road, Orpington, are still backing a Metropolitan Police review calling for the original investigation into their son's death to be reopened.

The couple also blame the duty lifeguards and Atlantis Resort staff who allowed the unlicensed, unregistered and uninsured boat to operate.

Following almost five years of campaigning, charges were brought against boat driver James Bain and the craft owners Clifford Nottage and Evangeless Williamson last month.

All three men are on bail ahead of a magistrates' court hearing in the Bahamian capital Nassau on April 13 to consider the evidence against them and decide if a trial date should be set.

But the Gallaghers fear further investigation into the liability of the Atlantis Resort will not take place as more than half the country's income comes from tourism.

Andrea Gallagher said: "The prosecution lawyer said it is unlikely anyone else will be charged or the case re-opened.

"If the lifeguards had given me a warning the boat was coming, I would have saved little Paul's life.

"We are happy about the charges which have been made, but what about the lifeguards? What about the rest of the Atlantis staff?

"The Bahamas doesn't want the resort's name blackened."

Last week an island newspaper reported the Bahamian authorities were still refusing to comment on whether police will be reopening the investigation.