Stardust witness says he will not change account ‘to suit what Joe Brolly wants’

A former part-time barman at the Stardust nightclub in north Dublin, in which 48 young people died in a fire in 1981, insisted he would not “change” his account of what happened that night “to suit what Joe Brolly wants”.

David Bridgeman, who was 17 on the night of the disaster, was invited by four barristers acting for families of the dead, including Mr Brolly, to revise his recollection of events.

Giving evidence on Tuesday at inquests into the 48 deaths in the fire in the early hours of February 14th, 1981, Mr Bridgeman said he was able to easily open one of the emergency exits, known as exit 4. It was adjacent to the bar and he used it to go out and change beer kegs. He did not remember chairs stacked up in front of it.

Fresh inquests are being held at Dublin Coroner’s Court following a direction in 2019 by then attorney general Séamus Woulfe that they were in the public interest.

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In his 1981 Garda statement Mr Bridgeman said he was “satisfied the exit doors number 4 and 5 were unlocked and ready to open at any time”. After the fire started, he “ran towards exit door 4 and [he] pushed and hit that door open”.

Sean Guerin SC, for families of nine of the dead, asked him why he did not mention the stacked chairs in his February 1981 statement, given that he did in May 1981 at a tribunal of inquiry into the disaster. He also asked if he remembered panic around exit 4 amid difficulties opening it.

“You can keep asking me if there was stuff there or not there. I can’t remember.” He did not remember people gathering in panic.

Mr Guerin said: “What I am suggesting to you is that your account is wrong. Your statements made no mention of the obstructions at the door and made no mention of the difficulty opening the door and that is because your account is wrong.”

“Everybody has a different memory of what they did. I know what I did. I don’t remember chairs. I can’t just say, all of a sudden, ‘There were chairs’. I don’t remember them being there,” replied Mr Bridgeman.

[ Stardust inquests resume with nightclub manager expected to appear this month ]

Michael O’Higgins SC, for families of 10 of the dead, asked if he had had problems opening exit 4, given that chains were draped over the push-bar.

“No... I just remember the door opening,” said Mr Bridgeman.

Having read statements from patrons describing panic and chaos during efforts to open exit 4, Mr O’Higgins said: “I am hoping that by putting other people’s accounts to you that that might persuade you that their accounts are more likely to be more accurate than yours. Do you agree with that?“

“No... I don’t remember people standing there or kicking or doing anything like that,” replied Mr Bridgeman.

Des Fahy KC, for families of nine dead, again asked whether chains around the push bar prevented him opening the door. “I opened it. It didn’t stop me from opening it,” said Mr Bridgeman.

Joe Brolly, counsel for families of 10 dead, told Mr Bridgeman he had an “opportunity” he would “never get again” to “tell the truth about what happened”.

“The truth was that the emergency exits were... used as storage areas. They were constantly being locked to prevent young people getting in. So, when the disaster came the Stardust was a death trap. Is that not the truth?” asked Mr Brolly.

“No, I don’t recollect chairs being in front of me to get out that exit... With all due respect, you can suggest all you like... If you want me to change my story to suit what Joe Brolly wants, that’s fair enough... I can only say what I can remember that night. I got out that door to change kegs. I do not remember chairs being there.”

“I am going to suggest to you... you are simply sticking to a story and what you have told this jury simply cannot be the truth,” said Mr Brolly.

“What I recall is the truth of what I am saying,” said Mr Bridgeman.

“That is a matter for you. I have no further questions,” said Mr Brolly.