Golfer died in prank gone wrong when friend pushed him over driving range ledge
A young man died from falling 12ft to the ground after his friend jokingly pushed him on a night out drinking and golfing at a driving range.
The friend had shoved Connor Groom onto a safety net at Topgolf in Chigwell, Essex, where he assumed he would remain.
However, the 22-year-old went headfirst over the edge of the net, hit the first floor of the range and suffered a serious spinal injury.
He was rushed to hospital where he died five weeks later after his condition worsened and the spinal injury caused a hypoxic brain injury.
The friend, who has not been named, will not face prosecution, police said at his inquest, held at Essex Coroner’s Court this week.
The court heard how Mr Groom, from Clacton-on-Sea, Essex had been on a Christmas work night out and drinking with friends on December 21, 2021 when they arrived at Topgolf.
After being taken to a golf booth they started pushing or nudging each other so they’d fall on to a safety net.
The group were told be staff to stop the prank and agreed that they would, but soon carried on.
Everyone who had fallen at that point had had been fine, but when one of Mr Groom’s friends ran up and pushed him, possibly a little harder than the others, he fell over the edge of the net.
Detective Inspector Lydia George, from Essex Police, told the inquest how officers had taken statements from multiple people at the scene and reviewed the CCTV footage of the incident.
DI George said: ‘There was a large group of them including [the person who pushed Mr Groom] and Conner Groom. The party convened in Clacton where they are predominantly posted. They travelled to Topgolf.
‘The group drank for a bit in the bar and then taken upstairs to bay 36-37. The height was measured at 3.7 metres or just over 12 foot. All of the CCTV shows them in good spirits and no signs of animosity.
‘A number of times it shows the friends trying to push each other into the safety netting. It was plainly seen as a joke.’
DI George said this happened several times, and that a member of security came to speak to the group about their behaviour.
The man who ended up pushing Mr Groom was not involved in the previous pushing incidents, the detective said.
DI George continued: ‘Immediately before the fatal push, [Mr Groom’s friend] said he was going to push Conner into the net. It was said in a joking manner. He ran to him and pushed him. It was a two-handed push.
‘Conner Groom got a foot caught in the net and fell 3.7 meters and sustained catastrophic injuries that proved fatal.’
DI George said a proposed cause of death following a lengthy stay in hospital for Mr Groom was a hypoxic brain injury by traumatic spinal cord injury.
Following his fall, the group members were reported saying to staff ‘you have warned us enough times’.
DI George said that following the death, Essex Police consulted with the Crown Prosecution Service and Mr Groom’s family about whether to take further action against his friend for the push.
The court heard the police eventually decided not to pursue a manslaughter charge as the ‘evidential test was not met’ and that the only intention from the push was for Mr Groom to land on the safety netting.
DI George added: ‘The parents of Conner Groom didn’t support a prosecution of [his friend]. They believed that Conner would not have wanted to support any action over him as they are good friends.’
DI George said the police concluded it was a ‘prank that resulted in a tragic accident’.
Graham Jarvis, a senior environmental health officer for Epping Forest Council, carried out a review into Topgolf and its safety procedures following Mr Groom’s death.
He told the court that the venue had made a number of changes to its policies, including updates to its signage and a more ‘zero tolerance’ approach to those who push people into the safety nets.
Mr Jarvis said: ‘A new player safety manager role has been created for every UK [Topgolf] venue. The member of staff isn’t there every day but is there at the times and days where they are busiest and expect the most consumption of alcohol. They are responsible for the safety management of players.’
Mr Jarvis added that Epping Forest Council had been satisfied with all the changes made at Topgolf and that no enforcement action had been taken against the venue.
Coroner Lincoln Brookes said he was completely satisfied that there had been no intention of harm by anyone in Mr Groom’s group.
Mr Brookes said: ‘I entirely accept that due to high spirits there was nothing malicious whatsoever.
He added: ‘But it’s apparent that unlike the earlier incidents his friend did take a run-up and charge at Mr Groom which explains that he was pushed out more forcefully than others, and rather than landing on the netting, which was what he intended and nothing more, his momentum was such that he want straight over the netting, across it and fell head first to the ground.
‘Alcohol had severely impaired his judgement.’
Mr Brookes said the case was a ‘terrible tragedy’ and recorded a conclusion of misadventure.
He offered his condolences to his family, saying Mr Groom’s loss had been ‘immeasurable’ for them.
A Topgolf spokesperson told Metro: ‘We remain deeply shocked at the events that led to the tragic death of Connor Groom, and we have sought to assist the relevant authorities with their inquiries into the incident.
‘We wish to extend our deepest condolences to Connor’s friends and family on their loss.
‘We won’t be making any further comments on the outcome of the inquest.’
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