A second preliminary hearing of a probe into the tragic deaths of a couple in the Cameron House fire tragedy will take place tomorrow (May 3).
A virtual hearing will get underway at Paisley Sheriff Court ahead of a Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) into the deaths of Simon Midgley, 32, and Richard Dyson, 38.
Simon’s mum Jane has been fighting for answers since the tragedy at the five-star resort on the banks of Loch Lomond on December 18, 2017.
She told the Lennox Herald this week that she hopes the second hearing will see the setting of a date for the public inquiry.
In January, she was left “fuming” after making a 500-mile trip from her home in Yorkshire for the first hearing – to be told there was still no date.
A further hearing was fixed to allow all parties to see an architect’s report, which wasn’t ready at the time.
The mum has spent four years begging for answers – including seven months for the hearing after an FAI was given the go ahead in June last year.
She said: “I’m feeling really anxious about it and I hope a date will be set which isn’t too far away as it’s been four-and-a half years waiting for answers now.
“I don’t know why it’s taken so long to get to this stage. I’m just hoping there’s no more delays.
“We need this to happen soon so lessons can be learned to prevent this happening again.”
In January last year, hotel operator Cameron House Resort (Loch Lomond) Ltd was fined £500,000 and night porter Christopher O’Malley, 36, of Renton, was given a community payback order at Dumbarton Sheriff Court.
The court heard that the fire started after O’Malley emptied ash and embers from a fireplace into a polythene bag and placed it in a cupboard which contained combustibles.
Cameron House Resort (Loch Lomond) Ltd admitted failing to take the fire-safety measures necessary to ensure the safety of employees and guests between January 14, 2016 and December 18, 2017, while O’Malley, of Lennox Street, admitted breaching sections of health and safety laws.
Cameron House Resort (Loch Lomond) Ltd will participate in the FAI, as well as night porter Christopher O’Malley, Andrew Roger, resort manager, and Fiona Meek, resort and safety manager for Village Hotels.
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service will also be represented at the inquiry, which is expected to last for up to four weeks.
A Crown spokesperson said: “The Crown will continue to keep the families of those involved fully informed and answer any questions they may have about the process in the run up to and during the FAI.”
