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guard jailed for 5 years over death of girl who fell under carriage

  • 15-11-2012 03:20PM
    #1
    davet82
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,753 ✭✭✭


    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2232974/Georgia-Varley-death-Railway-guard-Christopher-McGee-jailed-5-years.html
    Georgia Varley died after falling between a train and the platform on a night out in Liverpool

    Train guard Christopher McGee, 45, gave the signal for the driver to depart as the 16-year-old was leaning against the carriage

    McGee was sentenced to five years in prison today after being found guilty of manslaughter by gross negligence

    A blood analysis following her death showed she had 236mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood in her system - the legal driving limit is 80mg.

    She also had 0.083mg of the drug mephedrone, or Mcat, in her system at the time of her death

    After reading this article i have to say i feel abit sorry for the guy, 5 years seems harsh compared to some sentences i've seen.


Comments

  • #2
    LordSutch
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,069 ✭✭✭✭LordSutch


    I think that the poor girl was a former pupil at a school in Bray Co Wicklow?

    Tragic accident, I feel so sorry for the train guard too.


  • #3
    Death and Taxes
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,775 ✭✭✭Death and Taxes


    In before "The Garlicman"!!


  • #4
    Where To
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,455 ✭✭✭Where To


    I'd be happy with the sentence if the parents got the same for gross negligence on their part.


  • #5
    Duggy747
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,295 ✭✭✭✭Duggy747


    That would have been a vicious death, being caught between the platform and the train.


  • #6
    seamus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 68,173 ✭✭✭✭seamus


    Duggy747 wrote: »
    That would have been a vicious death, being caught between the platform and the train.
    She would likely have been barely aware of what was going on. BAC of 0.236 is in the "barely able to stand, blacking out" range of intoxication.

    Bit of a tough one to call.

    Kind of an "everything going to **** at the same time" incident for the guard. If she hadn't been quite so out of it, she would have noticed the train moving and just stepped away.
    But his job is to make sure that the train is clear before moving, and apparently he didn't do that. He has probably called it exactly the same way a hundred times before and each time the person just stepped away as the train moved, but this time he just called it wrong.

    I think five years is quite harsh. I don't even know if a sentence is necessary in this case, he probably spends most of his days agonising over what would have happened if he'd just waited two seconds.


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  • #7
    davet82
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,753 ✭✭✭davet82


    i wonder if the licenced premises that served her the alcohol are also liable, for me they contributed to her death just as much as the guard


  • #8
    Calibos
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 7,933 ✭✭✭Calibos


    Was going to say 'Harsh' until I clicked the link.

    I pictured a busy platform with distractions and crowds obstructing his view of the girl.....

    Its empty. She's the only person there!!! Did he never hear the phrase, 'Assumption is the mother of all Fcuk Ups'.
    Jaysus I wouldn't even assume a sober person with their wits about them wouldn't lose their balance when the train started moving.

    His assumed. He fcuked up. He deserves that sentence if not more.


  • #9
    Furious_George
    Closed Accounts Posts: 215 ✭✭Furious_George


    Where To wrote: »
    I'd be happy with the sentence if the parents got the same for gross negligence on their part.
    davet82 wrote: »
    i wonder if the licenced premises that served her the alcohol are also liable, for me they contributed to her death just as much as the guard

    Grow up lads, I was going out when I was 16 as were most of my friends. We found ways to get pissed even if we were supposed to be going to "a disco" and unless times have changed terribly in the last 15 years I would imagine a large portion of 16 year olds would still be doing like wise. I got in trouble for it when caught but didnt stop me and blaming the pub/offie or the parents isnt helpful. It could as easily have happened to someone over 18.

    The train guard was directly responsible for her death as his actions directly caused her to fall. He is employed to make sure that doesn't happen, saw her there, and still told the train to move off. 5 years is a lot by Irish standards but maybe not by British.


  • #10
    ejmaztec
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,369 ✭✭✭✭ejmaztec


    Furious_George wrote: »
    Grow up lads, I was going out when I was 16 as were most of my friends. We found ways to get pissed even if we were supposed to be going to "a disco" and unless times have changed terribly in the last 15 years I would imagine a large portion of 16 year olds would still be doing like wise. I got in trouble for it when caught but didnt stop me and blaming the pub/offie or the parents isnt helpful. It could as easily have happened to someone over 18.

    The train guard was directly responsible for her death as his actions directly caused her to fall. He is employed to make sure that doesn't happen, saw her there, and still told the train to move off. 5 years is a lot by Irish standards but maybe not by British.

    They have a habit of coming up with sh1t sentences on a regular basis as well. The situation in this case my be totally different on appeal.


  • #11
    Latchy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 21,190 ✭✭✭✭Latchy


    Calibos wrote: »
    Was going to say 'Harsh' until I clicked the link.

    I pictured a busy platform with distractions and crowds obstructing his view of the girl.....

    Its empty. She's the only person there!!! Did he never hear the phrase, 'Assumption is the mother of all Fcuk Ups'.
    Jaysus I wouldn't even assume a sober person with their wits about them wouldn't lose their balance when the train started moving.

    His assumed. He fcuked up. He deserves that sentence if not more.
    I have to agree here ,the cctv footage shown to the jury was enough to convict him and he should not have flagged that train off .


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  • #12
    davet82
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,753 ✭✭✭davet82


    Furious_George wrote: »
    Grow up lads, I was going out when I was 16 as were most of my friends. We found ways to get pissed even if we were supposed to be going to "a disco" and unless times have changed terribly in the last 15 years I would imagine a large portion of 16 year olds would still be doing like wise. I got in trouble for it when caught but didnt stop me and blaming the pub/offie or the parents isnt helpful. It could as easily have happened to someone over 18.

    The train guard was directly responsible for her death as his actions directly caused her to fall. He is employed to make sure that doesn't happen, saw her there, and still told the train to move off. 5 years is a lot by Irish standards but maybe not by British.

    i get what you are saying about the parents but a licenced premises (speculating here) serving a minor alcohol, grow up?

    Dont mind the fact she was underage, any business serving someone this amount of drink and then letting them loose on the public, leaving the emergency services to deal with them, should at least expect a fine.


  • #13
    davet82
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,753 ✭✭✭davet82


    Calibos wrote: »
    His assumed. He fcuked up. He deserves that sentence if not more.

    when you see rapists get suspended sentences or thugs kicking people to death getting less for manslaughter, i think it puts this sentence into prespective, i'm not arguing his guilt.


  • #14
    Furious_George
    Closed Accounts Posts: 215 ✭✭Furious_George


    davet82 wrote: »
    i get what you are saying about the parents but a licenced premises (speculating here) serving a minor alcohol, grow up?

    Dont mind the fact she was underage, any business serving someone this amount of drink and then letting them loose on the public, leaving the emergency services to deal with them, should at least expect a fine.

    Yeah sorry about the grow up thingy, I get grumpy sometimes and type angry. What I mean is they will get alcohol anyway like we (my friends and I) with fake ids or even asking others to buy it for them.

    The quality of some of the fake ids out there is astounding, I worked in pubs and sometimes its so hard to tell if its real or fake and with girls especially with make up and hair changing the whole time its hard to tell if the id is someone else's that looks similar.


  • #15
    davet82
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,753 ✭✭✭davet82


    Furious_George wrote: »
    Yeah sorry about the grow up thingy, I get grumpy sometimes and type angry. What I mean is they will get alcohol anyway like we (my friends and I) with fake ids or even asking others to buy it for them.

    The quality of some of the fake ids out there is astounding, I worked in pubs and sometimes its so hard to tell if its real or fake and with girls especially with make up and hair changing the whole time its hard to tell if the id is someone else's that looks similar.

    i totally agree with that, its next to impossible to screen for everyones real age but they should be tougher more so on those licenced premises who sell to excess to customers who have clearly had enough is probably more sensible, which may or may not have been the case here tbh


  • #16
    Hippies!
    Closed Accounts Posts: 555 ✭✭✭Hippies!


    Awh and she was a beautiful young lady, so sad :(


  • #17
    Spunge
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,779 ✭✭✭Spunge


    mephedrone was a good laugh


  • #18
    dd972
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,563 ✭✭✭dd972


    99.99% of the time she wouldn't have gone under, apparently she clung onto the side of the moving train which is a bit pointless on the sliding door trains that Merseyrail have.

    Don't think the guard should have gone down for this, he made an assumption that this wouldn't happen, but it did, no malevolence was at hand.


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