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Six individuals, including five councillors and a business owner, have been fined a total of £11,825 for health and safety violations following an incident at the Galleon Centre in Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire. The breach resulted in a disabled swimmer, Ryan Deans, nearly drowning in the leisure centre pool in January 2023. Mr. Deans, 25, had to be resuscitated after being submerged for almost two minutes before the alarm was raised.
The councillors, namely Iain Linton, Clare Maitland, Barry Douglas, James Adams, and provost Claire Leitch, who were trustees of the Kilmarnock Leisure Centre Trust responsible for providing leisure facilities at the Galleon Centre at the time, admitted to their wrongdoing. Another trustee, Manpreet Bawa, who is not a councillor, also pleaded guilty in connection to the incident. The court imposed a total fine of £11,825 on the six trustees for their negligence.
During the court proceedings at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court, it was revealed that Mr. Deans, who has learning difficulties and seizures, was a member of the Kilmarnock Jets swimming club participating in a session when he encountered difficulties in the pool. CCTV footage showed Mr. Deans entering the pool via a slide and remaining submerged for nearly two minutes before being noticed by club volunteers.
Following the incident, Mr. Deans’ mother highlighted the psychological impact on her son, noting that he had lost interest in swimming and had not returned to the club where he had been a member for 15 years. An investigation by the local authorities exposed deficiencies in risk assessment and safety procedures, indicating that members of the Kilmarnock Jets were not adequately protected while using the pool at the Galleon Centre. Despite the dissolution of the Kilmarnock Leisure Centre Trust, the trustees expressed their sincere regret to Mr. Deans for the ordeal. Moreover, the court mentioned a prior incident in 2019 where trustees were fined £10,000 after a young girl nearly drowned in the same pool
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