Trampoline park bosses could face jail after three people break back in one day

Trampoline park bosses, at whose venue 11 people broke their backs including three in one day, could face jail after admitting to health and safety offences.

Three people suffered a fractured spine in one day at the notorious venue after jumping from a 13 ft high tower into a foam block-filled pit back in 2017.

The string of incidents sparked concerns for the craze, which has seen a number of unregulated trampoline centres pop-up nationwide.

The former bosses of Flip Out Chester, David Elliott Shuttleworth and Matthew Melling, both 33, pleaded guilty to health and safety offences at Chester Crown Court last month.

Shuttleworth and Melling could now face up to two years behind bars and hefty fines when they return for sentencing.

The charges relate to an investigation into 270 known accidents which happened over a seven-week period from December 2017 – February 2017 at the ​​Chester Gates Business Park.

Visitors who suffered life-changing injuries at the park welcomed the news and warned others of the risks.

According to the Daily Mail, staff at the local Countess of Chester Hospital had warned how specialist surgeons were under unnecessary pressure as a result of ‘scores of visitors’ suffering injuries at the park.

Among those injured at the park was Liza Jones, 26, from Wrexham. After leaping from the 13 ft tower block, called the ‘Tower Jump’ back in February 2017, into a foam-filled pit, she fractured her spine . She described it as the ‘most pain I’ve ever suffered’.

Liza launched legal action against the bosses of the centre, based near Ellesmere Port. She said: “I’m glad they’ve faced court action because I could have been left paralysed.

“I landed in the way I’d been told to, but I was one of three people who suffered broken backs that day. People visiting these centres may feel they’re safe because they’ve got rules for people to follow, but that’s just not true.

“The firms that are running them need to learn from this and ensure they’ve got proper health and safety in place.”

Lucy Jones was also hurt after she sprung off the same Tower Jump in January 2017.

Lucy, who was 19 at the time, visited the centre with her friends but ended up leaving in an ambulance with a broken back.

Recalling the incident she said: “As I screamed in agony, my friends rushed over to help me. I landed in a seating position, as we’d been told to do.

“But, when I landed, I felt the worst pain I have ever been through in my whole life. For a while, I couldn’t breathe or feel anything.”

After she was taken to hospital, she found out she had fractured a vertebrae in her back. Upon hearing the news, she said she was ‘absolutely terrified’. 

Lucy had to undergo a five-hour operation which involved placing metal rods in her back. She also had to have physio everyday until she was discharged five days later.

The dental nurse said she missed out on enjoying her life as she spent a long time in recovery following the incident.

Saying she had ‘so much life ahead of me, but instead I faced a long recovery needing constant physiotherapy’.

George Magraw also fell victim to the Tower Jump as the then 21-year-old from Ellesmere Port was told he would need months to recover after fracturing his spine.

George, who was a student, underwent surgery to replace his shattered vertebrae with a metal disk.

Ceri Jones, who was 21 at the time, also suffered a back injury after jumping from the same platform at the centre. She said she heard a ‘crunch’ when she landed on the foam, which was her vertebrae exploding on impact.

Speaking after the incident, she said: “I heard a ‘crunch’ and I couldn’t move – I was in agony. I was sat there for 15 minutes before they had to carry me out.”

Sarah McManus, then 29, is said to be among those hurt on the ‘tower jump’ and launched legal proceedings in 2017 after she heard her ‘back crack’.

Speaking to ITV at the time, she said: “As I landed it was just like someone had punched me in the stomach – it was awful pain. I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t talk and I did hear a ‘crack’.

“I followed the instructions on the sign and landed in the seated position as suggested, but when I hit the foam it felt like I’d been winded.

“I was barely able to breathe and couldn’t shout for help, so I had to throw some of the foam sponges in the air to get attention.”

According to the Daily Mail, in the first four months the park was open, ambulance crews attended the trampoline centre on average, once a week.

The number of injuries raised concerns at the nearby Countess of Chester Hospital to the point that it called a meeting with the park’s bosses.

Sentencing for both defendants was adjourned for pre-sentence reports. A date is yet to be decided.

Chester Councillor Christine Warner said last week: “Our Public Protection team always deal strongly with businesses who put residents or visitors to the borough at risk. This business had a total disregard for safety regulations.

“Injuries in this case included 11 fractured spines, as well as other serious injuries. Those injured on a daily basis included both adults and children.”

Flip Out, which now operates under a different franchisee after being dissolved, said: “The incidents relate to a specific piece of equipment that was immediately closed. Our systems and procedures have evolved significantly since.”