Justice For Paul
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Parents ready to grieve after verdict
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| The Gallagher family have campaigned for six years BR2887 |
THE parents of boat-crash toddler Paul Gallagher have said they are ready to grieve for their son and move on with their lives.
Paul and Andrea Gallagher launched a six-year Justice for Paul campaign after the two-year-old died from massive head injuries in August 2002.
A 19ft-long speedboat mounted the beach at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas and hit him while he slept.
Three men were cleared of responsibility for his death at a hearing at the Supreme Court in the Bahamian capital Nassau last Wednesday.
Now the Gallaghers have vowed to move on with their lives.
Speaking to News Shopper, Mrs Gallagher, of Repton Road, Orpington, said: "We can't take this any further. There is no right of appeal, so, unfortunately, it is the end of the road for us on this.
"We have achieved an awful lot, and we have highlighted the problems for other people, to be aware of the dangers in the future."
The 41-year-old added: "It is us who are suffering, and we have got to live our lives.
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| Toddler Paul Gallagher was killed in the Bahamas |
"We will never forget little Paul, and he lives on in all our hearts, and now we are going to grieve for him properly, as we haven't been able to up until now.
"It has taken us six years of fighting and battling and we have to focus on our other two children, getting our business back up and running, and getting our lives back to normality."
The jury of six women and three men cleared the boat's driver, 30-year-old James Bain, and its owners Clifford Nottage, 54, and Evangeless Williamson, 66, of manslaughter by negligence after judge Elliot Lockhart ruled there was no case to answer.
Mr and Mrs Gallagher reacted angrily to the verdict.
Mrs Gallagher broke down in tears at the back of the court.
Her husband, Paul, 43, stood up and shouted at Mr Bain: "Why don't you tell the truth?"
Outside the court, Mr Gallagher had to be held back from approaching the three men by his wife's brother, John McGuckion.
Both the toddler's father and uncle started shouting at the boat's driver and its owners as they were moved away by court officials.
A June 2003 inquest in the Bahamas recorded a verdict of accidental death, but the Bromley coroner later recorded an open verdict at a second inquest the following year.
The criminal trial came about after Bromley coroner Dr Roy Palmer said there were "real doubts" over the incident, and subsequent investigation by the Met Police.
The court heard Mr Bain was pulling a banana boat with the 200-horsepower speedboat when it was hit by a wave, knocking several people into the water.
As Mr Bain, who did not have a master's licence, went to help them, leaving the engine running, his foot became tangled in a rope and the boat approached the
beach at full throttle, scattering bathers.
During the trial, accusations arose that the Gallaghers had demanded money to drop the case, but Mrs Gallagher said this was several years ago, and they had never planned to abandon the case.
News Shopper has been campaigning for Justice for Paul since February 2006.
9:24am Wednesday 30th April 2008
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CommentPosted by: Carmen, Sunderland on 7:47am Thu 1 May 08
I wish the family all the luck and the strength in the world to carry on with their lives.the fact they cant appeal is a disgrace. i still say avoid the bahamas if this is their sense of 'justice'.
I wish the family all the luck and the strength in the world to carry on with their lives.the fact they cant appeal is a disgrace. i still say avoid the bahamas if this is their sense of 'justice'.
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