Cameron House Hotel blaze: August date for inquiry into fire which claimed two lives

A Fatal Accident Inquiry into a hotel fire which claimed two lives will begin in August, more than four and a half years after the blaze.
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Simon Midgley, 32, and his partner Richard Dyson, 38, from London, died in the blaze at the five-star Cameron House Hotel on the banks of Loch Lomond on December 18 2017.

Hotel operator Cameron House Resort (Loch Lomond) Ltd was fined £500,000 and night porter Christopher O’Malley was given a community payback order over the fire at Dumbarton Sheriff Court in January 2021.

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At a continued preliminary hearing, which took place virtually on Tuesday, Sheriff Thomas McCartney agreed the Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) will begin at Paisley Sheriff Court on August 15 and will take place in person rather than virtually.

Richard Dyson, left and partner Simon Midgley, who died in the fire.Richard Dyson, left and partner Simon Midgley, who died in the fire.
Richard Dyson, left and partner Simon Midgley, who died in the fire.

Graeme Jessop, lead counsel to the inquiry, said Mr Midgley’s mother has a “strong preference” for the hearing to be in person. Mrs Midgley has campaigned for a “full and open” public inquiry into the fire which claimed the lives of her son and his partner, who were finishing off their holiday in Scotland when tragedy struck.

He said: “Jane Midgley, the mother of the deceased Mr Midgley, has expressed her determination to be present and hear all of the evidence at the fatal accident inquiry.

“She wishes it to be known that she has a strong preference for an in-person hearing.”

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Mr Jessop said that Mrs Midgley, who lives in the Leeds area, does not have wi-fi access at her home address and listened to the hearing remotely at Victim Support offices in Yorkshire.

The fire left much of Cameron House Hotel a charred ruin.The fire left much of Cameron House Hotel a charred ruin.
The fire left much of Cameron House Hotel a charred ruin.

Sheriff McCartney said: “That is a strong reason why you would submit that a live hearing within court is the appropriate forum for this.”

Three weeks has been set aside for the FAI and there will be a further preliminary hearing in late June.

Dumbarton Sheriff Court heard in January last year that the fire started after night porter Christopher O’Malley emptied ash and embers from a fuel fire into a polythene bag and placed it in a cupboard which contained combustibles including kindling and newspapers.

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Cameron House Resort (Loch Lomond) Ltd, owner and operator of the hotel, admitted failing to take the fire safety measures necessary to ensure the safety of employees and guests between January 14 2016 and December 18 2017.

Simon Midgley and his mother Jane.
Pic: PASimon Midgley and his mother Jane.
Pic: PA
Simon Midgley and his mother Jane. Pic: PA

The company admitted two charges of breaching the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005.

O’Malley admitted breaching sections of health and safety laws which relate to the obligation on an employee to take reasonable care for the health and safety of people affected by their acts or omissions at work.

The fire prompted a massive emergency service response with some guests, including a young child, rescued by Scottish Fire and Rescue Service personnel from an upstairs using a ladder.

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Crews from across the area made their way to the scene and found the hotel well ablaze.

Mr Midgley, who ran his own PR company, and Mr Dyson, a 38-year-old TV producer, were later found incapacitated on the second floor. Both men died from smoke inhalation.

An English coroner subsequently that both me were “unlawfully killed”.

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