Man killed after trying to rescue his brother from track as Tube entered station, coroner finds

Nicholas Mann was travelling back from a heavy-metal gig when he was hit by a southbound Northern Line train

Nicholas Mann with his wife, Jennifer Kavanagh (SWNS)

Eyewitnesses have described the tragic moment a man was fatally struck by a London Underground train as he tried to rescue his brother from the track.

Nicholas Mann, 35, was travelling back just after midnight from a heavy-metal gig with his brother Robert, 32, in March, when he was hit by a southbound Northern Line train and suffered a “massive head injury” at Old Street Station.

A jury at St Pancras Coroners’ Court recorded that the death was an accident after direction from the Inner London coroner, Mary Hassell.

Nicholas Mann, who lived with his wife, Jennifer Kavanagh, in Wimbledon, received first aid from off-duty paramedics and a doctor before being rushed to the Royal London Hospital in the early hours of 29 March.

Train driver Paul Johnson told the court: “I went round the corner approaching the platform and I saw a male stumbling and fall on to the track just in front of me. I immediately pushed the emergency brake.

“When he fell, another gentleman was trying to pull him out. The train was braking when it hit both of them.”

Referring to Robert Mann on the tracks, he said: “The gentleman had his back to me standing. The other gentleman was trying to pull him out. It looked definitely like an accident.”

It is believed Robert Mann is still making his recovery following the incident.

Mr Johnson, a train driver for 21 years, said the train was travelling at “around 30mph” when it approached the platform.

Nicholas had spent the Saturday with his brother. After watching Shrewsbury Town beat Portsmouth away from home, they travelled to a gig in London. His mother, Pauline Mann, who, along with the rest of his family, decided not to attend the inquest, called it a “perfect day”.

In a written statement issued to the court, she said: “Nick and his brother had been close as children and that relationship followed into adulthood. They texted each other many times a day; and the last day of Nick’s life they spent together. I will always miss my darling son. It was the perfect day. It involved football, a gig, and chips and beer.”

A short CCTV video played in court showed the brothers coming on to the platform. The pair were seen walking close to the edge of the track before Robert raised his arms in the air, stumbled and fell in front of the oncoming train. Nicholas was seen lying on the platform, trying to help his brother up when the train hit them.

Some of the jurors gasped and appeared shaken as the video showed the men being struck.

Matthew Pabon, who witnessed the train hitting them, said it all happened “really fast”.

He said: “They were walking really close to the edge of the platform. They were quite cheerful. They were jumping and celebrating, very cheerful.”

He added: “One of them slipped, the other person was trying to pull him out. It was really, really fast. The train was approaching really, really fast. I turned around and heard a bang.”

Peter Darling, an inspector for the Office of Rail and Road, a Government monitoring and inspections agency, told the court his investigations had found “no breach of health and safety” and called the death a “tragic accident”.

He added that it appeared Nicholas’s brother “inadvertently drew him down” as he fell on to the track.

Nicholas Mann, a senior press officer and heavy-metal enthusiast, had married Ms Kavanagh in 2011. Choosing not to appear in court, Ms Kavanagh said in a statement that Mr Mann had been “a wonderful husband and loyal friend”.

She added: “He was selfless, kind, warm and loving, and he put other people first. We had a wonderful decade together. It’s clear, by the tributes from Shrewsbury Town and the fans after his death, how much he meant to the club.”

Summing up, Ms Hassell recorded the death as “accidental”. She thanked Mr Mann and his family for the multi-organ donation made following his death.