King Kong Climbing Centre has formally admitted to significant health and safety failings that contributed to the death of Carl O'Keeffe, a 49-year-old man from Lancaster. Mr O'Keeffe tragically died days after becoming trapped for several hours in a confined tunnel at the company's Kong Adventure facility in Keswick in April 2023. Specialist cave rescuers were required to free him from the narrow passage on 22 April of that year.
During a hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, a barrister representing King Kong Climbing Centre entered a guilty plea on behalf of the firm. The company admitted to failing to adequately protect its users from health and safety risks, specifically in relation to the incident involving Mr O'Keeffe. The admission was made during a brief, ten-minute hearing.
The court is now set to fix a date for the company's sentencing, with an initial short hearing scheduled for 11 September to determine the next steps. Prosecutor Alex Stein indicated that various documents would need to be prepared and reviewed before the sentencing could proceed.
Separately, company director Paul Cornforth had previously denied a health and safety offence. However, prosecutors have stated that it is now considered 'unlikely' they will continue to pursue the case against him, particularly once the company's sentencing has concluded. They noted that it would probably not be deemed to be in the public interest to proceed with the individual charge, which had a trial listed for April 2027, once the corporate entity has been sentenced.
This admission marks a significant development in the ongoing legal proceedings following the fatal incident. The focus will now shift to the forthcoming sentencing and the penalties the company will face for its admitted breaches of health and safety regulations.