A MAN sat down on railway tracks in Prestatyn before being removed from them by his friend, who was then struck by a train himself and killed, a court heard.

Patrick Kennedy, 49, of Woodlands Road, Manchester, denies the manslaughter of 40-year-old Keith Ford, from Urmston, Manchester, who died on July 13, 2022.

Kennedy appeared at Mold Crown Court today (October 14) for the first day of his trial, during which he pleaded not guilty to an additional charge of doing anything to endanger passengers on a railway.

Delivering the prosecution’s opening speech, William Hughes KC told jurors that, on the morning of the day in question, Kennedy and Mr Ford travelled from Urmston to Greenacres Caravan Park, on Shore Road.

The two initially spent time drinking and chatting with others, but then witnesses described an argument between the two.

As Kennedy then walked towards a large locked gate leading to the railway line, Mr Ford remained at the caravan site, initially watching him from a distance, but then followed in the same direction.

At 5.01pm, a train left Prestatyn railway station - upon seeing this train soon after, Kennedy sat down on the tracks, which he later said he did for a “giggle”, having joked to Mr Ford he would take the train to the beach.

The train driver braked upon seeing what he thought were two people on the line – Mr Ford was attempting to pull Kennedy out of harm’s way by this point - but the train struck both Kennedy, who sustained a hand injury, and Mr Ford.

Mr Ford was pronounced deceased at 5.49pm, with a post-mortem examination finding he died due to severe chest trauma.

Dr Brian Rodgers, who undertook the post-mortem examination, found Mr Ford had an extremely high blood alcohol level, and the train “caught him a severe glancing blow in the back of the right shoulder area.”

He noted this was “consistent with him being crouched down or lying down” at the time of impact.

Mr Hughes said: “It is the Crown’s case that Keith Ford was in this crouching position due to his attempt to drag the defendant off the tracks.”

Kennedy initially told police it was he who had pulled Mr Ford off the track, but could not do so in time, causing him to be struck by the train.

He was arrested at 8.25pm that evening, to which he responded: “I don’t believe this.”

At 9am the following day, he told a police constable: “I have a problem with myself for being such a f***ing idiot, getting p****d up on a hot, sunny day and doing daft things like taking shortcuts and stupid things like that.”

Kennedy admitted he and Mr Ford had “a bit of a dispute” about him wanting to leave the caravan site, and Mr Ford wishing to stay.

In later interviews, he contradicted his earlier claims by admitting he had sat down in the middle of the track, and Mr Ford then pulled him off the railway line.

It is the prosecution’s case that Mr Ford’s death was caused by Kennedy’s unlawful act of trespassing on the railway line, and his consequent attempt to pull him out of the path of the oncoming train.

Simon Killeen, representing Kennedy, told jurors Mr Ford’s death was, in fact, a “tragic accident in the blur of drink”.

“Two men who had known each other for many years set off on July 13 on an adventure,” he said.

“That adventure turned ultimately into, we say, misadventure, tragedy and death.”

Kennedy’s trial, which is expected to last for up to two weeks, will resume tomorrow.