Tragic Fall Leads to Young Woman’s Death
A young woman known for her outgoing and friendly personality passed away a month after she suffered a fatal fall down a set of stairs at a nightclub. The inquest into the incident revealed the heartbreaking details of how Georgia Harry, 26, lost her life.
Georgia was described by her family as “bubbly” and “fun,” someone who enjoyed being around friends and had a vibrant social life. On March 16, she met with her friend Michael Pollard at Punch Tarmey’s around 3 p.m., and later joined a group of friends at a nightclub on Seel Street in Liverpool. According to testimony, Georgia consumed both lager and vodka during her time there.
At around 2:15 a.m., Georgia and Mr. Pollard decided to go to the toilets, which were located on the basement floor of the building. As they walked down the stairs, Georgia’s legs suddenly gave way, causing her to fall and hit her head on the concrete floor. Her friend, who was with her at the time, rushed to help but found her unconscious.
Sean Moogan, who was not drinking, witnessed the incident as he left the toilets. He recalled seeing Georgia and Mr. Pollard walking down the stairs. He described how Georgia’s legs gave out, causing her to swing to his head level before falling. Mr. Moogan said that Mr. Pollard shouted Georgia’s name as she became unresponsive.
Mr. Pollard, who is a personal trainer and first-aid trained, tried to remain calm and advised Mr. Moogan to move away from Georgia to prevent further injury. Georgia was then taken to Aintree Hospital, where she underwent tests and assessments before being transferred to the Walton Centre. She remained in critical condition on life support until she passed away on April 13.
Toxicology reports revealed that Georgia had a low level of ketamine in her system and an alcohol reading of 294, which is approximately three-and-a-half times the drink-driving limit. This raised questions about the circumstances of her fall.
An environmental health officer from Liverpool City Council visited the premises after the incident and found that there were no slip strips on the stairs. The bar was instructed to install them in the future.
The area coroner, Ms. Anita Bhardwaj, stated that it is “more than likely” that Georgia slipped on the stairs. However, she could not confirm this definitively due to CCTV footage being obstructed by a person walking behind Mr. Pollard and Georgia. A police investigation concluded that Georgia was not pushed down the stairs.
Detective Inspector Dillon of Merseyside Police noted that Mr. Pollard was seen taking something from his jumper before linking arms with Georgia. Later, between two CCTV cameras, Georgia was seen falling at speed down the staircase before hitting her head on the ground.
A post-mortem examination confirmed that Georgia’s cause of death was an extensive brain injury caused by the fall. Ms. Bhardwaj emphasized that the evidence presented did not suggest anything more than an accident.
Georgia’s mother, Nicola Poolton, expressed her grief and described her daughter as a “strong fighter” who “fought until the end.” She highlighted Georgia’s love for socializing, traveling, and being with friends. Reflecting on her time in the ICU, Ms. Poolton said that the medical team initially did not think Georgia would survive the night. However, she lived for five days after life support was withdrawn.
Georgia, who lived with her mother and two dachshunds, worked at the Liverpool Passport Office. A heartfelt obituary notice described her passing as “peacefully in hospital surrounded by her loving family.” It read, “Much loved daughter of Nicola and David. Georgia will be sadly missed by all who knew her. To our darling daughter. We miss you the world our beautiful miracle. We love you the world and back.”