Woman, 26, dies after falling down stairs on way to toilet in city centre bar

A 26-year-old woman died nearly a month after falling backwards while walking to the toilets with a friend on a night out at a city centre bar.

An inquest into Georgia Harry’s death was held at Gerard Majella Courthouseon Wednesday, where it was heard the civil servant from Aigburth had been out with pals on Sunday, March 16 this year. She met her friend Michael Pollard around 3pm at Punch Tarmey’s in Liverpool, before heading off to see another friend. Mr Pollard saw her again later that night at Lost bar on Seel Street around 2am on Monday, March 17. He recalled that Georgia had been drinkingboth lager and vodka while with him.

At around 2.15am, the pair left the group to go to the toilet in the basement. As they walked down the stairs, Georgia held Mr Pollard’s arm, but her legs “went from beneath her” and she fell, hitting her head on the concrete floor.

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Sean Moogan, a witness standing at the bottom of the stairs, told the inquest he had not been drinking that night. In a statement, he said: “I was in Lost on Seel Street seeing my friends. I wasn’t drinking at all this night. I had just been inside the toilets. As I have got to the stairwell, I have seen a male and female walking down the stairs.”

He said Georgia’s legs gave way about six steps from the bottom and swung up to head height as she fell. Mr Pollard ran to help her and screamed her name. Mr Moogan, a former personal trainer with first aid training, told him to stay calm and not move her in case her injuries worsened.

Paramedics took Georgia to Aintree Hospital, where she was assessed and had blood tests, before being transferred to The Walton Centre. A toxicology report found she had an alcohol level of 294, about three and a half times the drink-driving limit, and a “low level of ketamine.” She died on April 13, 2025, after being kept on life support.

An inspection by Liverpool City Council found the stairs had no slip strips, a breach later addressed. Area Coroner Anita Bhardwaj was told it was “more than likely that she did slip.” After a police investigation into whether Georgia was pushed down the stairs, it was concluded by Detective Inspector Dillon of Merseyside Police that this was not the case.

In a statement read to the court on his behalf, it was heard how a group of people, including Georgia, had been crowded round a table before she and Mr Pollard left to go to the toilet. He was seen taking something from his jumper, with Georgia then linking arms with Mr Pollard as they walked down the stairs. Between two CCTV cameras, Georgia could be seen “falling at speed” down the stairs and hitting her head.

Nicola Poulton, Georgia's mum, said she was “fun, outgoing and hardworking” and “always had a smile on her face”. A post mortem found her death was a result of extensive brain injury caused by a fall.

Concluding the inquest, Ms Bhardwaj said: “More likely than not that Georgia has died from the injuries sustained from the fall. From the evidence we have heard, there is nothing to suggest that it was nothing more than an accident. Georgia Leigh Harry died by an accident.” She added: “These are absolutely tragic circumstances surrounding her death.”