Leeds bar owner fined £20,000 after man is forced to have oesophagus removed
Spanish TV producer David Caminal, who was filming an advert in the city, suffered ‘excruciating pain’ after drinking the pint at the New Conservatory bar and was rushed to hospital.
Bar owner Nicholas Bird admitted to failing to protect the health and safety of customers.
According to the BBC, a bartender was unaware the line was being cleared when he served the drink, as the liquid which came out of the pump was a similar colour to pale ale.
Solicitor Jill Greenfield said: "This is a remarkable and terrible case. It could have been anyone that day. Simply going for a pint of beer has led to tragic consequences.
"My client's life has changed dramatically. His family has also had an extremely stressful time. The simple act of eating is now a real challenge and I would hope that at the very least highlighting this case will mean that others check to ensure that proper safety measures are in place."
Judge Kitson acknowledged that the incident was ‘tragic but inadvertent’ and that Caminal was now living with life-changing injuries.
Licensees have been warned to review health and safety measures following a similar case earlier this year, in which a wine bar was fined £100,000 after a woman had to have her stomach removed after drinking a liquid nitrogen cocktail.
Gaby Scanlon was drinking a cocktail at Oscar’s Wine Bar in Lancaster when she started to suffer agonising stomach pains.
