The mum of Cameron House victim Simon Midgley has told how she is hoping for wide-ranging changes to prevent another tragedy following a public inquiry.
Jane Midgley attended the Fatal Accident Inquiry into the deaths of her 32-year-old son and his partner Richard Dyson, 38, with family members every day last month after travelling from her home in Yorkshire.
The couple tragically died after a fire tore through the five-star resort on the banks of Loch Lomond on December 18, 2017.
It started after Renton night porter Christopher O’Malley emptied ash and embers from a log fire into a polythene bag, and then put it in a cupboard of kindling and newspapers.
Last year, he was sentenced to a community payback order while hotel operator Cameron House Resort (Loch Lomond) Ltd was fined £500,000 after admitting failing to take the necessary fire safety measures to ensure the safety of guests and employees.
The 11-day inquiry at Paisley Sheriff Court heard evidence from dozens of witnesses, including hotel guests, staff members and emergency services personnel.
Its purpose is to establish the circumstances of the deaths, and to consider what steps, if any, might be taken to prevent other deaths in similar circumstances.
Sheriff Thomas McCartney will deliver his determination in due course.
Jane has been tirelessly fighting for answers and successfully appealed an original decision made by the Crown Office not to hold an FAI as they were “satisfied the reasons for this tragedy have been established”.
Speaking to the Lennox this week, she said: “There were a lot of horrific things that it took four-and-a-half years to find out about. I never would have known if it wasn’t for the inquiry, which I had to beg for.
“It’s difficult to believe the Crown Office didn’t want it in the first place when everybody was gasping in the courtroom at what we heard.
“All of our family and friends were shocked at what came out.”
Jane said she felt the inquiry revealed there was an “umbrella of people to blame for what happened”.
She said: “I’m still trying to digest everything. I was absolutely exhausted by it.
“I feel stunned, shocked and upset by it all.
“I didn’t miss a day in court. Some people have asked how I could have listened to all that every day but I didn’t want to miss any of it. I’ve been fighting four-and-a-half years for answers. I had to be there.
“I always said I need to know everything from the thread to the needle.
“I’m hoping there’s going to be masses of changes as a result of what’s come out.
“There seems to have been a massive umbrella of people to blame for what happened.
“It could all have been prevented. Simple things could have saved the boy’s lives.
“It sounded like absolute chaos when they were doing the roll call and trying to work out who was accounted for.
“While all that was happening Simon and Richard were stuck in the building.”
Jane is preparing to mark the fifth anniversary in December and said she hopes the sheriff will make recommendations for change.
She added: “I’m hoping the sheriff will come back recommending lots of changes to prevent this from happening again.
“I also hope changes have been made already by business owners who have heard what’s come out and made their own health and safety improvements.
“I just hope there’s not another long wait ahead.
“I feel frustrated that it’s taken so long to get to this stage.
“My fight is far from over and I won’t be going away until I’m satisfied changes have been put in place to prevent this from happening again.”
Last year, a coroner in England warned hotel guests could die as a result of future blazes if action isn’t taken following the Cameron House fire.
During the inquest into the deaths of guests of Mr Midgley and Mr Dyson, Kevin McLoughlin said he was concerned about the length of time it took for a roll call to establish the men were missing.
