TWO BAR staff accused of the manslaughter of an Englishman who died from acute alcohol intoxication told gardaí they would not have served him a glass of eight shots if they had known that he planned to drink it all himself.
Gary Wright (34) and Aidan Dalton (28) both deny the manslaughter of 26-year-old Graham Parish from East Lancashire who died following a night of heavy drinking at Hayes Hotel in Thurles, Co Tipperary, on June 30th, 2008.
The State alleges that Mr Wright and Mr Dalton, both with addresses at Kilfithmone, Borrisoleigh, Co Tipperary, were guilty of “gross negligence” in allowing Mr Parish be served a single drink containing at least eight measures of spirits on June 30th, 2008.
Yesterday, the jury of six men and six women at Nenagh Circuit Criminal Court heard evidence of cautioned statements that both accused made to gardaí first when questioned voluntarily and later when arrested for questioning.
Mr Wright, a bar manager at the hotel with 14 years’ experience, told gardaí that if he had known Mr Parish intended drinking eight shots in a glass in one go, he would not have approved the order when asked by barman, Mr Dalton.
“I just want to say that I did not know that the pint of spirits were just for him – I thought they were going to have a finale and pass it around and that was it,” said Mr Wright, adding he had never seen anyone drink a pint of mixed shorts in one go.
“I thought they [Mr Parish and five friends] were going to pass it [the glass with eight shots in it] around and go to bed – if I knew that one person was going to drink it, I would have said No,” Mr Wright told gardaí.
Mr Dalton told gardaí he had never come across an order for so many shots in one glass before, and that was why he checked with Mr Wright when some of Mr Parish’s friends asked him to put 10 shots in a pint glass.
“I asked Gary [Mr Wright] was it okay to give a pint glass of spirits and he said that it was – it was just a bit of fun,” said Mr Dalton, adding that he put double shots of Baileys, Southern Comfort, Jack Daniels and gin into a pint glass.
“I worked in the bar trade for 10 years – I don’t think I ever served a drink with that much spirits in it – that was why I checked with Gary to see was it okay to serve him that . . . if I realised he was going to slam it, I wouldn’t have served it,” he told gardaí.
“I didn’t think he was going to down it in one go – I thought because they were all picking a drink that they were going to pass it around or something,” said Mr Dalton, adding Mr Parish seemed aware of what he was doing when drinking the shots.
Both men told gardaí they believed they obeyed the hotel’s code of conduct by exercising reasonable care for Mr Parish’s health and safety when serving him in the bar.
The case continues before the jury and Judge Tom Teehan.
