No police prosecution over death of human cannonball Matt Cranch at Kent County Showground
Tragic human cannonball
Matt Cranch died while performing his stunt
No criminal charges will be brought after the death of a
daredevil human cannonball, it has emerged.
Kent Police today confirmed there will not be a police
prosecution over the tragedy at the Kent County Showground.
Stuntman Matt Cranch, 23, plunged to the ground after being
fired 40ft from a cannon at the Detling venue in April 2011.
Mr Cranch, who performed the stunt for Scott May's Daredevil
Stunt Show, suffered multiple injuries when a safety net
collapsed.
Maidstone Borough Council, which launched an
investigation at the time alongside the police and Health and
Safety Executive, will now consider if there is a case under health
and safety laws.
Thousands of people were at the show on Easter Monday when Mr
Cranch, from the Isle of Man, was killed performing his act.
The tragic death made headlines across the country as it emerged
a safety net had collapsed as the giant cannon went off.
Many of the people who were there when the daredevil fell to his
death initially thought him hitting the ground was part of the
act.
Witnesses said at first the crowd were confused when the
stricken stuntman, who had been fired 40ft in the air (pictured
left), lay crumpled.
But when the announcer called for an ambulance, it dawned on
them the stunt had gone terribly wrong.
It is believed the tragedy happened when a safety net collapsed
too early - before it could break his fall.
A Kent Police spokesman said: "Following an investigation into
the death of Matthew Cranch in 2011, at this stage there will be no
police prosecution regarding the incident and the case has been
referred to the local authority."
At the time of the tragedy, Roger Moore, executive manager of
Kent Event Centre, which runs the showground, said: "We have
stringent policies in place for our own managed and organised
events, but always ensure that individual event organisers have
their own safety standards in place when we hire out the showground
to third parties."
Scott May's Daredevil Stunt Show, which has been touring in the
UK since 1991, cancelled several shows after Mr Cranch's death.
13/12/12
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