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From the
https://www.kentonline.co.uk By Chris Hunter, 30 May 2019.
Opera singer Alan Costigan sues Echo pub in Gravesend after being served toxic drink.
An opera singer claims he almost died after allegedly being given toxic
caustic soda to drink in a pub "as a prank".
Alan Costigan, 42, says he started spitting up blood and suffered burns
to his mouth, throat, gullet and stomach when he drank the substance -
used to clean beer lines - at the Echo Pub in Old Road East, Gravesend.
But while the pub's insurers have admitted The Echo was "in breach of
duty" and liable for the "accident", which happened in December 2017, a
pub spokesman denied he was given the toxic fluid to drink on purpose.
Alan Costigan has taken legal action after drinking line-cleaner at
The Echo pub in Gravesend.
The performer, however, who used to work in the pub and had just given
the landlady a singing lesson, insists he was offered a new "red Ribena"
by a barmaid and was told to "drink it down in one".
He said: "I was having a coffee, chatting to one of the regulars when
the barmaid came up and said why didn’t I try this red Ribena? She said
I should down it in one.
"I drank about half as it was a large amount in a glass that you would
serve a vodka and coke in.
"As soon as I swallowed it I knew there was something radically wrong.
"It immediately burnt my throat and I could hear her laughing behind the
counter and said it was beer line cleaner.
"I said 'what have you given me that for?'
"I immediately got a large glass of water and drank a lot but it wasn’t
stopping the burning.
"I then started spitting up blood and I was really worried.
"When it went down it was like the hottest thing you could imagine in
your throat. It was like I had been drinking molten lava.
"The pain was excruciating and like nothing I had ever felt before.
"I honestly thought it was all over for me.
"I thought she has given me something that was going to kill me.
"I couldn’t breathe properly and I was coughing up a lot of blood. I was
in shock and I thought I was going to die.
"Where I was coughing up blood it was burning as it came up."
Mr Costigan, who is now pursuing legal action, says he staggered home a
few hundred yards away before he called 111.
He added: "They said it was really serious and that I needed to speak to
a poison doctor.
"They told me not to come to the hospital as they would send an
ambulance straight to me.
"I thought I am dead, it’s over, I’m not going to make it to the
hospital.
"When the paramedics arrived they said it was very serious but I should
try to remain as calm as possible."
Mr Costigan claims the incident has ruined his career.
"I tried to do one gig since the incident and it was an absolute
disaster," he said.
"From a vocal point of view this has destroyed my career.
"I have gone from being able to sing on a stage in front of lots of
people to not even being able to go out of the house.
"I'm a recluse, suffer from depression, and have had panic attacks."
He said his balance, nervous system and breathing had also been
affected, adding: "I will never be the same again after what happened to
me.
"This has ruined my life.
"Even if I was able to sing I don’t know if I will ever be well enough
to perform again."
Mr Costigan has instructed personal injury specialists from Hodge Jones
& Allen to take legal action against the pub.
Emma Hall, from Hodge Jones & Allen, who represents him, said: "My
client's life has been devastated, all because a barmaid thought it
would be funny to get him to drink a highly toxic and poisonous
substance.
"He has been left with severe psychological injuries as well as the
physical trauma he has suffered as a result of consuming the beer line
cleaner.
"In addition he has been unable to work since the incident and does not
know what the long term effects are to his health.”
A spokesman for The Echo, who did not wish to be named, said: "The
allegations have been vehemently denied other than one element, which
was that a substance was made available to the public in error.
"The allegations have also been denied in a statement to the police, and
no further action was taken.
"The barmaid denied that anything was done as a prank - she didn't say
he should drink it. She wasn't aware that he had drunk it until
afterwards.
They added: "Mr Costigan had worked in the pub so had far more knowledge
than what has been portrayed.
"The pub's insurers have been waiting over a year for medical records
and nothing has been forthcoming."
Police confirmed they had received a report of an assault related to the
consumption of pipeline cleaner at The Echo, Gravesend, on December 1
2017.
They added: "Officers carried out a full and thorough investigation and
arrested a woman in connection with the incident but there was
insufficient evidence to proceed with a prosecution.
"The investigation has therefore been filed pending any further
information coming to light."
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