A local council is set to launch a prosecution against a historic hotel over the death of a ‘petite and beautiful’ woman whose windpipe is thought to have been crushed by a falling wardrobe.
Chloe Haynes, 21, was found dead under the heavy wooden wardrobe at the Britannia Adelphi Hotel in Liverpool after travelling to the city for a night out on September 10, 2022.
She was discovered by a friend who raised the alarm before two men from nearby rooms rushed to lift the piece of furniture off Ms Haynes, but she could not be saved.
Merseyside Police launched an investigation and three men aged 26, 46 and 49 – including the friend and the ‘Good Samaritans’ who came to Ms Haynes’ aid – were arrested on suspicion of murder before being released without charge.
Eventually it was concluded that her death was accidental. However, an investigation was launched by Liverpool City Council’s Environmental Health department.
Following the conclusion of that investigation, the council is set to prosecute two Britannia Hotels companies over alleged health and safety breaches.
Proceedings are understood to be starting on May 7 at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court.
The Adelphi, situated on Ranelagh Street in the city centre, featured in an eight-episode BBC documentary called ‘Hotel’ in 1997 following its day-to-day running.
Ms Haynes’ mother, Nicola Williams, said at the time of her animal-loving daughter’s death she had just been ‘coming out of her shell’.
‘She loved animals. She had a little dog called Archie she was obsessed with. There are so many photos of them together,’ she said.
‘My little nickname for her was birdy. She was so petite and little and when she ate she was like a little bird. She was quiet, she was somebody who didn’t speak unless it needed saying.
‘But in the last 12 months she was coming out of her shell. She was gaining her confidence and she had a wide circle of friends.
‘She was kind and caring and she seemed to connect with gay men and that was how she met the friend she went to Liverpool with.’
Ms Haynes – who had a twin brother and was one of five children – had travelled to Liverpool from Hafan y Mor Haven Holiday Park in north Wales, where she worked, on the night of her death.
Her mother added: ‘Chloe left Pwllheli around 7.40pm and they went to the Adelphi, there was some sort of engagement party or something.
‘By midnight, she had been drinking shots and so on and she was a bit drunk, so her friend has taken her back to the hotel to sleep it off and then he’s gone back out.
‘It seems she has got up out of the bed confused, not knowing where she is, and she’s opened the door of the wardrobe maybe thinking it is the toilet or the door to go back out of the room.
‘It was a big, old, heavy wardrobe and it’s fallen on her and crushed her windpipe.’
Ms Williams said Chloe’s friend returned to the room in the early hours of the morning and was confronted with the horrific scene.
He tried to save her life along with two other men by performing CPR, but it was too late.
Wayne Kenny, from Bootle, was one of those men. He told the Liverpool Echo a short time later that he was stunned to then be questioned by police.
He said: ‘I was thinking could I get accused for something I haven’t done, could they make a mistake? To be thinking that for 10 hours was hard work.’
Following Chloe’s death, Liverpool City Council carried out spot checks on the premises and on September 22, issued prohibition notices to Britannia Hotels regarding the safety of the wardrobes found in Chloe’s room.
The spot checks also found issues regarding the windows at the hotel. While not required by law, where window restrictors are in place to prevent falls, they must be kept in good condition.
Britannia appealed the notices regarding the safety of wardrobes and the council agreed to drop them after seeing evidence that work had been carried out to make them safe. The company dropped its appeal against the notice regarding windows and that was affirmed.
A spokesperson for Britannia Hotels said: ‘We can confirm that Liverpool City Council has initiated legal proceedings in relation to the Adelphi Hotel and we are fully cooperating with the legal process.
‘Our sympathies remain with the families and loved ones of those involved. As this matter is now before the courts, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further at this time.’
