Conner Groom and Ben Gardner were two young bricklayers from Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, whose work brought them close enough to become best friends. The pair shared countless evenings and late nights, making the sort of memories that become precious with time. On December 21, 2021, another evening together began without either man realizing it would be their last. The tradesmen arrived at Topgolf for their office Christmas party, expecting nothing more than to kick off the holidays. But a few hours later, Groom was lying injured on the floor after being pushed from a height of 12 feet. Five weeks later, his injuries proved fatal, leaving Gardner to grapple with the guilt of knowing that his actions had led to the loss of someone he could not imagine living without. GoFundMe Groom and his colleagues traveled to Topgolf by coach and arrived at approximately 7 p.m. The group initially spent time at the venue’s bar before being taken upstairs to one of the golfing bays roughly an hour later. Topgolf’s Chigwell facility has several levels, with players hitting golf balls from raised bays overlooking the driving range. Safety netting lines the edges of the bays to prevent customers from falling into the area below. During the evening, the group began treating the netting as part of their prank. topgolfuk Groom was pushed onto it twice, and he also pushed other members of the group in return. The behavior eventually caught the attention of venue employees. Staff warned the group several times to stop “messing around,” but the warnings did not end the behavior. At that point, there was no indication whatsoever that the friends were involved in any dispute. Evidence presented instead described an evening in 2024 of high spirits, in which those involved treated the behavior as a joke. topgolfuk At approximately 10:08 p.m., Groom stepped forward at the bay to take his turn. According to Detective Inspector Lydia George, Gardner told another member of the group that he intended to push Groom into the safety netting. Gardner then approached Groom “running from behind” and pushed him after he struck the golf ball. Instead of landing safely on the net, Groom went over the edge. His foot briefly became caught in the netting as his body continued downward. That left him “with no control whatsoever over how he landed.” Groom fell headfirst and landed on his face. Isabella Mendes/Pexels (not the actual photo) People at the venue witnessed the incident, including security guard Dion McKenzie. McKenzie described during the investigation that Gardner immediately ran downstairs toward Groom and repeatedly said, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Groom lay on the floor, bleeding from his nose. Emergency services were called, and Groom was taken to the Royal London Hospital that night. Doctors found that he had suffered a cervical spinal trauma. Connor Danylenko/Pexels (not the actual photo) The circumstances of the fall caused an investigation into Gardner’s actions. He was arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm without intent. Investigators had to establish what had happened immediately before the fall, what Gardner had intended when he pushed Groom, and whether the available evidence was sufficient to support a criminal prosecution. The distinction between what Gardner intended and what ultimately happened became particularly important. Evidence indicated that Gardner had expected Groom to land on the safety netting. There was no suggestion that he had planned for Groom to fall from the elevated bay onto the ground. topgolfuk Essex Police consulted the Crown Prosecution Service during the investigation and also spoke with Groom’s family about whether they supported criminal proceedings. Detective Inspector George later said that officers had concluded the incident was a “prank that resulted in a tragic accident.” Groom’s parents, whose names remain anonymous, also did not support prosecuting Gardner. George said they believed their son would not have wanted action taken against his friend because the two were close. The decision brought the criminal investigation to an end, although Groom’s medical condition continued to deteriorate. Boko Shots/Pexels (not the actual photo) Gardner’s lack of criminal proceedings sparked a heated debate across the UK, with members of the public split over whether he should have faced prison despite the absence of malicious intent. Some argued that the consequences of his actions warranted a custodial sentence, while others felt that living with the guilt was punishment enough. Reddit discussions reflected the strength of those reactions. RDNE Stock project/Pexels (not the actual photo) One commenter wrote, “Man, imagine how bad the guy who pushed him must feel. That’s a lifelong weighted guilt blanket right there.” Another said, “he was lucky not to get a manslaughter charge.” A third took an even harsher view, describing Gardner as a “stupid f**kwit” who deserved to live with the remorse, adding, “prison would make it easier for him.” Andrian Vieriu/Pexels (not the actual photo) Groom remained at the Royal London Hospital after the fall. His injuries were severe, including a hypoxic brain injury caused by the spinal cord harm. On January 25, 2022, Groom succumbed. His passing devastated his loved ones, as his godmother, Jade White, described in a fundraising appeal. Getty Images/Unsplash (not the actual photo) “We lost Conner last Tuesday, as a family we are totally broken,” she wrote. “I’ve lost my best friend and Paige, ‘his sister,’ has lost her protector.” She added: “No time will heal this pain.” The appeal raised more than $9500 for the family and helped them give Groom a final celebration of his life. Towfiqu barbhuiya/Pexels (not the actual photo) On May 23, 2024, more than two years after Groom’s demise, an inquest about the incident was held at Essex Coroner’s Court in Chelmsford. Evidence was heard from police officers, witnesses and health and safety officials as the court examined the circumstances leading up to the fatal fall. CCTV footage from the venue played an important role. The footage confirmed Groom and the others were in good spirits and did not indicate hostility between them. It helped investigators understand Gardner’s state of mind. The investigation found no indication that Gardner had wanted Groom to suffer serious harm. However, the fact that the outcome was not intended could not change the severity of what followed. A young man who had arrived at the venue for a Christmas celebration had sustained injuries from which he did not recover. BBC Essex senior coroner Lincoln Brookes recorded a conclusion of misadventure, a classification used when a deliberate act unexpectedly results in demise. His judgment characterized the evening of December 21, 2021, as a prank that had gone “out of hand.” Addressing Gardner’s intentions, meanwhile, Brookes said, “The last thing Mr Gardner wanted was his friend to be hurt. I entirely accept this was due to good spirits and there was nothing malicious.” Getty Images/Unsplash (not the actual photo) Brookes described Groom’s passing as the result of “inebriated but not malicious horseplay” and said Gardner’s judgment had been “severely impaired.” The inquest then turned to a separate question: whether the venue itself had adequately addressed the safety risks surrounding the elevated golfing bays. topgolfuk Following Groom’s demise, Graham Jarvis, a senior environmental health officer for Epping Forest District Council, reviewed Topgolf’s safety procedures. The review examined how the venue handled behavior around the elevated golfing bays and the risks of customers entering or being pushed toward the safety netting. Topgolf subsequently made several changes. It updated its warning signage to read “never jump or push others on the safety net.” topgolfuk The venue also introduced a stricter approach to customers who pushed others into the safety netting, stating those engaging in such behavior could be removed from the premises. Jarvis ultimately told the inquest court that the council was satisfied with the changes Topgolf had made. No enforcement action had been taken against the venue at that point. However, the absence of enforcement during the inquest did not permanently close the question of whether the venue had fulfilled its legal responsibilities. That issue returned two years later. topgolfuk In February 2026, more than four years after Groom’s fatal fall, Epping Forest District Council began prosecuting Topgolf under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. According to court documents reported by the BBC, they said people had been “exposed to risks to their safety, namely a fall from height,” in December 2021. The documents specifically identified Groom as a person at risk while “seeking to use, play and engage with the recreational sports golf driving range facility.” Epping Forest District Council said it could not comment while proceedings were ongoing. Topgolf also did not respond to the BBC when approached for comment. Gustavo Fring/Pexels (not the actual photo) A Drinkaware Monitor research paper highlighted several concerning patterns in drinking habits among young adults across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In 2023, 11 percent of drinkers in this demographic scored at high-risk or possibly dependent levels on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, compared with 6 percent of drinkers aged 25 and over. Other findings point to the potential consequences of excessive drinking. That year, 40 percent of young adult drinkers said they had experienced memory loss after drinking, while 24 percent said they had failed to do what was normally expected of them and 14 percent had needed a drink in the morning. Meanwhile, 42 percent reported feelings of guilt or remorse after drinking, while 19 percent said they regularly drank for reasons linked to coping. Cottonbro studio/Pexels (not the actual photo) The sharpest rise in harmful drinking occurred after the pandemic. The proportion of young adult drinkers who scored as possibly dependent increased from 7 percent in 2021 to 13 percent in 2022, while the combined share classified as high-risk or possibly dependent rose from 12 percent to 19 percent over the same period. Drinking-related risks also extend to Britain’s roads. Department for Transport figures show that 16- to 24-year-olds accounted for 23.5 percent of casualties in drink-drive collisions in 2024. Across Great Britain, an estimated 6,350 casualties were recorded in drink-drive collisions that year, including a central estimate of 220 fatalities. However, the data also points to a positive shift among younger adults. The proportion of 18- to 24-year-olds who abstained from drinking rose from 14 percent in 2017 to 21 percent in 2023.
