Paralympian Ryan Cockbill loses £7m payout bid over injury
A Paralympian who broke his neck trying to belly-flop into a paddling pool at a teenage party has lost his last-ditch bid for a multi-million pound compensation payout.
Ryan Cockbill, from Great Barr, was left paralysed after diving into a paddling pool at a post-GCSE party when he was just 16.
The 22-year-old, a London 2012 Paralympic torchbearer and rifle shot, was left in a wheelchair after the accident at a July 2006 garden party held at the home of his friend, Sarah Riley, whose father David Riley was supervising.
Lord Justice Tomlinson 'regretfully' dashed Ryan's final hope of a £7 million damages award.
The judge said ex-primary school headteacher Mr Riley had done his utmost to keep an eye on the youngsters using the pool and could not have foreseen the tragedy.
Although there was alcohol available at the party, there was no suggestion that anyone was the worse for drink, said the judge, and all were agreed that the teenagers were 'decent and respectable'.
Lawyers for Mr Cockbill claimed Mr Riley should have stepped in when the atmosphere around the pool 'got out of hand' and that, by failing to do so, he had exposed his young guest to the risk of serious injury.
However, in April last year, High Court judge Mr Justice Bean cleared Mr Riley of all blame for Ryan's devastating injuries in a ruling which set out clear boundaries for the responsibilities of parents hosting events for their offspring.
At a hearing on Tuesday, lawyers for the 'courageous and stoical' accident victim pleaded with Lord Justice Tomlinson to grant him permission to challenge the judge's ruling at a full Appeal Court hearing – but without success.
Ryan was referred to in court as a normally 'shy' teenager whose behaviour on the fateful day had taken everyone by surprise. He broke his back after leaping into the pool while yelling 'watch me go', but fatally misjudged the angle of his approach.
Lord Justice Tomlinson said there was no evidence that Mr Riley had seen other youngsters dive or 'somersault' into the two-foot deep pool, and that, although 'boisterous', the party had never got out of hand.
In fact, Mr Riley had been trying to 'calm things down' minutes before the accident, according to the judge.
The judge acknowledged that the accident had had 'appalling consequences' for Ryan but said he must abide by the law.
