Four Manchester tram workers deny manslaughter of Hull dad

29 year old Jack Barnes died in 2016

Author: Kim Pilling, PA ReporterPublished 8th Feb 2024

Four tram workers accused of the manslaughter of a father-of-one will go on trial next year.

Jack Barnes, 29, from Hull, suffered a cardiac arrest after he was restrained by the "customer service representatives" who were monitoring anti-social behaviour on Greater Manchester's Metrolink tram system.

Mr Barnes died in hospital on December 2 2016, less than two months after the incident in Manchester city centre which followed a kilometre pursuit from Victoria Station.

On Thursday, Paul Fogarty, 50; Stephen Rowlands, 67; Matthew Sellers, 29; and Brian Gartside, 59, entered not guilty pleas at Manchester Crown Court to the charge that they unlawfully killed Mr Barnes.

Rowlands also denied perverting the course of justice by allegedly providing a false witness statement to Greater Manchester Police.

Mr Justice Goose set a trial date of January 20 next year.

The hearing will take place at Liverpool Crown Court and is estimated to last up to six weeks.

Fogarty, of Monks Lane, Bolton; Rowlands, of Wearish Lane, Westhoughton; Sellers, of Heathfield Road, Bury, and Gartside, of Danesworth Avenue, Whitworth, were all granted bail on condition of residence.

A pre-trial review hearing will take place on November 22.

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