Prestatyn manslaughter trial: Events which led to death on the tracks

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

Kennedy, who also pleaded not guilty to doing anything to endanger passengers on a railway, began standing trial at Mold Crown Court yesterday (October 14).

This is the timeline of events which prosecuting barrister William Hughes KC has told the jury about.

July 13, 2022

Morning - Kennedy and Mr Ford travel in Mr Ford’s white transit van from Urmston to Greenacres Caravan Park. The two were “old acquaintances”; Mr Ford being a long-standing friend of Kennedy’s younger brother.

2.57pm - Mr Ford and Kennedy arrive at Greenacres. They park outside the caravan which Mr Ford’s partner, Vicki Rice, was renting that summer.

Greenacres Caravan Park (Image: GoogleMaps) 3pm-4.25pm - Mr Ford and Kennedy sit in a grassed area, talking and drinking with neighbours.

4.25pm – Kennedy gets to his feet and walks off alone.

4.26-4.31pm - Mr Ford gets up and follows Kennedy in the direction of the park’s children’s play area. The two converse and gesticulate at each other.

The prosecution suggests that, at this point, Kennedy wants to leave the caravan site, and Mr Ford tries to encourage him to stay.

4.31pm – Mr Ford touches Kennedy’s neck area – he responds by throwing his cider can at a fence. An argument ensues between them, with Kennedy behaving “aggressively”.

Kennedy then walks on to Shore Road and towards a large locked metal gate which leads to the railway line. Mr Ford is, by then, at the side entrance to the caravan park and can see Kennedy from a distance.

4.32pm – Kennedy climbs through the gate and into the railway compound, before continuing in the direction of the line. Mr Ford then approaches the gate that Kennedy climbed through – he stands at that gate for about three minutes.

4.35pm – Mr Ford climbs through the same gate in a similar manner to Kennedy, and then walks in the direction of the railway track, as he had done.

Kennedy and Mr Ford are then both within the boundaries of the railway line for approximately the next 30 minutes.

4.53pm – A train passes through the area of impact. This is not the train that strikes Mr Ford and Kennedy, but its CCTV captures them sat down in the grassed area to the left of the tracks.

5.01pm – Another train leaves Prestatyn railway station. It passes by Prestatyn Golf Club at an approximate speed of 62mph.

5.05pm – The train arrives at the collision site. It is the prosecution’s case that Kennedy heard and saw the train approaching the area where he and Mr Ford were located, and upon seeing it, decided to sit down on the tracks.

Kennedy would later say he did this for a “giggle”, having joked to Mr Ford that he would catch the train to the beach.

The train hits both men as Mr Ford attempts to pull Kennedy from the tracks.

CCTV footage from the train cuts out about two seconds before the point of impact. Extensive attempts have been made to retrieve the “lost” footage without success.

5.10pm - The incident report is received by police. The train driver approaches both men – Kennedy is shouting for help and “Keith Ford” repeatedly. A resident of the holiday park also hears Kennedy say: “Ring the police, ring the police.”

5.43pm – A paramedic arrives at the scene to find police and the ambulance service already in attendance, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation being performed on Mr Ford.

5.49pm – Mr Ford is pronounced dead by the paramedic.

8.25pm – Kennedy is arrested and cautioned. He responds by saying: “I don’t believe this.”

He had directed police back to Mr Ford’s caravan earlier, after speaking to officers at the scene.

11.21pm – Kennedy leaves custody with officers so he can receive medical treatment. He has sustained high-velocity impact injuries to his hand which require surgery.

Thursday, July 14, 2022

5.12am – Kennedy tells a police constable that “my mate got hit by a train” and “I tried to grab him”.

9am – Kennedy tells another police constable: “I have a problem with myself for being such a f***ing idiot, getting p***ed up on a hot, sunny day and doing daft things like taking shortcuts and stupid things like that.”

July 16 and September 1, 2022

Kennedy is interviewed on both of these days. He admits he and Mr Ford had a “bit of a dispute” about him wanting to leave the caravan park and Mr Ford preferring to stay.

He says that Mr Ford led him to the railway, insisting that it was a shortcut to the beach – despite Mr Ford’s partner saying that, as she cannot walk easily, she remembered Mr Ford trying, and failing, to find shortcuts to the beach for her.

Kennedy stresses he does not know the area and could not explain why they did not take the main route to the beach.

He later admits it was him who sat down in the middle of the tracks and Mr Ford then tried to pull him off the railway line.

January 2, 2024 - British Transport Police confirms that Kennedy has been charged with manslaughter.

February 8, 2024 - Kennedy, on conditional bail, appears at Mold Crown Court to plead not guilty to manslaughter.

October 14, 2024 - On the first day of his trial at Mold Crown Court, Kennedy denies an additional charge of doing anything to endanger passengers on a railway. His trial is due to last up to two weeks.