The heartbroken parents of Olivia Burt have spoken of their ‘never-ending nightmare’ after their only child died on a night out with friends.
What should have been a night of fun for the Durham University student ended with her suffering fatal head injuries when a partition fence collapsed and fell onto of her.
The 20-year-old, former head girl of Bournemouth School for Girls, was waiting with friends to get into Missoula, in Durham City centre, when her life was cruelly ended in tragic circumstances.
Stonegate Pub Company, which runs the bar, said staff were struggling to deal with an unexpected influx of students on the fateful night, Teesside Crown Court heard.
Less than an hour before the fatal incident the same partition fence collapsed but door staff lifted it back into place – a move that was criticised by the company’s own safety expert witness.
On Thursday, the promising student’s mother, Paula, spoke of how her daughter’s smile lit up the room when she walked in.
“Olivia was, and still is, the most important person in my life. Although no one is perfect, Olivia was perfect for us.
“Olivia was everything I ever wanted and hoped for in a child. She was my best friend,” she said.
“Olivia’s smile would light up a room, and her laughter was infectious. Her kind and thoughtful spirit shone through in everything she did. She was my whole world.”
Fighting back tears as she delivered her victim impact statement via video link, Mrs Burt added: “Without Olivia, my heart is now broken and nothing will ever mend it. I’m still in disbelief that this happened – how could this have been allowed to happen?
“I feel like I am continually trying to crawl out of a pit and keep falling to the bottom again. I am living a never-ending nightmare.”
And the student’s father, Nigel, said the family’s life was torn apart when two police officers knocked on their door and told them Olivia was dead.
“I will never get to see her graduate from Durham University. I will never get to walk her down the aisle,” he said. “Olivia, I couldn’t protect you on that night – I’m sorry.”
The 20-year-old, who was head girl at Bournemouth School for Girls and represented Great Britain in sailing, was in her first year at the university studying natural science.
Miss Burt died from head injuries suffered when a partition barrier or screen fell on her amid a surge in the queue of students waiting to gain access to the rear of the venue, in the Walkergate complex, late on February 7, 2018.
Prashant Popat KC, representing Stonegate, said the company was deeply sorry for its failure to protect Olivia on that night.
He said the jury considered that the company should have done more after the screen collapsed on the first occasion but maintained the failure had occurred over a 30-minute period when they made the wrong decision to put it back up.
Judge Howard Crowson adjourned the case until 2pm on Friday to pass sentence.
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