Moyle highlights Isle of Man’s ‘Achilles Heel’ in TT Inquest verdict – defective management systems

Coroner of Inquests, Michael Moyle yesterday (Thursday 20^th March) delivered a damning verdict following the inquest into the deaths, during the Centenary TT, of competitor Marc Ramsbotham and two spectators, Dean Jacob and Gregory Kenzig.

In setting out his verdict, which included the finding of death by misadventure in all three cases, Mr Moyle stated:

“I have a duty to ensure all relevant facts are fully, fairly and fearlessly investigated. I am more than aware of the acute public concern that has rightly been aroused in this matter. I had to ensure, as best I could, that all relevant facts were exposed to public scrutiny. I would be failing in my duty if my investigations were superficial, slipshod or pre-functory.”

He continued, “If I am driven to make necessary and essential findings of fact, then so be it. I would not be discharging my duties if I sought to omit, water down, or gloss over such findings.”

The Manx Herald fully endorses those words and, as an aside, wishes the same could be said of all ‘investigations’ carried out across the public service.

In his verdict Mr Moyle said that he would not go into the question of whether Mr Ramsbotham’s “accident was or was not foreseeable or unusual” - although he did elude that the fence posts, which Mr Ramsbotham struck triggering the tragic consequences, perhaps needn’t have been where they were - and concentrated on the deaths of the spectators who were, “standing innocently watching the race unfurl before them”.

Without doubt, Mr Moyle thought these deaths should have been prevented.

In summarizing the position, as he saw it, Mr Moyle stated, “However it is apparent to me that there were considerable and wholesale failings in the system that was designed to ensure ‘the safety of spectators is paramount’”.

In coming to this conclusion, Mr Moyle roundly condemned senior figures in the government, the Manx Motor Club and the IOM Marshal’s Association; some of whom he described as “may well have been elevated beyond the sphere of their competence”.

Mr Moyle also made it clear that although he appreciated many of the individuals involved are volunteers this did not, in his opinion, allow them any latitude in the “standards expected of them.”

It is unfortunate in this case that many of the so called ‘professionals’ also appear to have acted, and over a considerable period of years, like a bunch of incompetent amateurs.

This was no more apparent than in the Department of Transport, and Mr Moyle found: “Whilst I take no pleasure in saying it, if the Department of Transport had deliberately set out to make themselves a laughing stock, they could not have made a better job of it”.

He went on to say: “The actions of the Department of Transport officers, if the circumstances had not been so dire, might well have brought a wry smile (but sadly no surprise) to the faces of those of us who have lived on the Island for some time”.

Towards the end of his verdict Mr Moyle says: “Members of the general public may well be astounded not only by the number of the failings in this matter but the gravity of them. In short, this was a sad and sorry mess”.

Regrettably, the Manx Herald agrees with the latter but, unfortunately, we are not astounded by the former as the type of failings, identified by Mr Moyle, are endemic across the public services in the IOM. In the opinion of the Manx Herald it is almost part of the ‘culture’ of the Island’s management.

There have been countless examples of mismanagement and maladministration investigated over the years, and as Mr Moyle says: “I also heard with what I regret to say a ‘sinking heart’ the usual tired cliché trotted out that ‘there are lessons to be learned’.

But are the ‘lessons’ really ever learned? The Manx Herald, also with a ‘sinking heart’, is not convinced.

The TT Races are effectively a ‘government’ promoted event, and government personnel play an important and integral part in the organisation of it too.

This includes Ministers of Government and other political and bureaucratic acolytes, who are very much in evidence when hospitality and other attractions of the event are available. However, it will be interesting to see how many of them will wish to disassociate themselves from the tragic event of last year; and more pertinently the failures of the system that allowed it to happen.

The deaths of the two spectators clearly resulted from wide ranging, and serious shortcomings that had been present for over 10 years.

Whilst the Manx Herald does not intend to question Mr Moyle’s choice of individuals and organisations he chose to criticize, there are a significant number of people, involved in the organisation of the event, that were not called to give evidence or account for their actions, or more properly inactions.  

The fact that no prohibited area signs were present at the 26^th Milestone, to warn spectators of the danger to watching from that spot, was identified as a breakdown in the management structure.

That starts at the top with the ‘organising committee’ who, in the opinion of the Manx Herald, are ultimately responsible to ensure that the structure works and doesn’t fail. It failed, they failed!    

Mr Moyle has already said some individuals’ positions are untenable and hopes they will do the decent, honourable thing. The Manx Herald wonders how many others, not specifically identified by Mr Moyle, will do the decent, honourable thing.