North Antrim man and his company admit health and safety charges after death of man in golf course lake

Standing in the dock of Antrim Crown Court Tom Kieran Best, who is the sole director of the co-defendant company Golf Balls NI Ltd was re-arraigned on two health and safety charges.

At count one Golf Balls NI Ltd, with an address at the Finvoy Road in Ballymoney, entered a guilty plea to failing to ensure the health, safety and welfare of non-employees on 26 October 2021.

At count five Best, with the same address, admitted that being an employer he failed to conduct his business “in such a way as to ensure, so far as was reasonably practicable, that persons not in their employment were not exposed to risks to their health or safety”.

None of the alleged facts were opened in court today but it was reported at the time that emergency services were tasked to the scene at the Hilton Hotel in Templepatrick following reports that a man had entered the water that Tuesday afternoon.

It is understood the man, aged in his 50s and who has not been named, had been diving for golf balls in the golf course lake as part of a charity fundraising initiative.

A hotel spokesperson said at the time: "We were very saddened to learn of the fatality in our grounds and we assisted the emergency services. Our thoughts are with the bereaved family at this difficult time."

Following the arraignment prosecuting counsel Catherine Chasemore asked for six other charges including breaches of diving at work regulations, failing to plan a diving project and failing to comply with diving regulations to be marked as “left on the books,” an application which was granted by Judge Fiona Bagnall.

Defence counsel Michael Forde suggested the court “will want a pre-sentence report” before the case can be dealt with and revealing that Golf Balls NI Ltd “is essentially a defunct company now” he highlighted there may be a longer than usual delay as Best “works for long periods of time off shore.”

Freeing Best on continuing bail, Judge Bagnall said she would deal with the case on 10 December.