Topgolf prosecuted over man's balcony fall death

Sports venue Topgolf is being prosecuted by a council over the death of a customer who fell from one of its raised driving ranges.

Conner Groom, 22, fell 3.7m (12ft) after being shoved over a safety net by his friend at Topgolf in Chigwell, Essex, on 21 December 2021.

Epping Forest District Council has alleged health and safety laws were breached in the incident, which led to Groom's death a month later.

The council said it could not comment while proceedings were ongoing, while Topgolf did not respond when approached for comment.

Customers at the venue in Abridge Road can strike balls from the ground floor or via a first-floor balcony.

Court documents seen by the BBC alleged people at Topgolf on 21 December 2021 were "exposed to risks to their safety, namely a fall from height".

The documents named Groom as a person at risk while "seeking to use, play and engage with the recreational sports golf driving range facility".

He had been playing on the balcony during a Christmas work party when he fell and suffered a traumatic spinal injury.

The bricklayer from Clacton-on-Sea was pushed by his best friend, Ben Gardner, as he lined up to take a shot at 22:08 GMT.

He landed face first on the driving range below and was taken to the Royal London Hospital, but died from his injuries on 25 January 2022.

Staff had warned the group to stop "messing around" prior to the incident, an inquest into Groom's death heard.

Lincoln Brookes, the senior coroner for Essex, ruled he died from misadventure borne out of "inebriated but not malicious horseplay".

Epping Forest District Council is looking to prosecute Topgolf under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

At the inquest in May 2024, a health and safety officer from the council said Topgolf had improved its staff training around potential health risks after Groom's death.

Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.