According to the BBC, the inquest into Groom’s death heard how he was attending a business Christmas party at Topgolf in Chigwell, Essex, in December 2021 when the disaster occurred.
After taking a coach from Weeley, which is close to Clacton-on-Sea, to the golf driving range, Groom’s group, who were from a bricklaying company, had been “drinking heavily.”
They got to the bar at 7:00 p.m. and had a drink. They were led to the first level of the two-story building an hour later.
The group pushed one another into the safety net at the edge of the golfing bay while “having a laugh and a joke,” according to testimony given at the inquest.
Detective Inspector Lydia George said the hearing that the party had received multiple warnings from staff to cease “messaging around.”