Care home and charity face corporate manslaughter charges after disabled residents drown
Burdon Grange Care Home Limited and South West Lakes Trust have been charged with corporate manslaughter after two disabled residents died when their boat capsized on Roadford Lake in 2022.
In June 2022 a wheely-boat carrying six passengers capsized on Roadford Lake Reservoir in Devon, dragging the electric wheelchairs of Alison Tilsley, 63, and Alex Wood, 43, beneath the water and causing their deaths. The Crown Prosecution Service has now charged Burdon Grange Care Home Limited and South West Lakes Trust with two counts each of corporate manslaughter, alongside breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act.
Malcolm McHaffie, head of the CPS Special Crime Division, said the evidence supports a court case and that pursuing it serves the public interest. The incident also left Kate Dart, in her 50s, with serious injuries after she was recovered face-down in the water. Police from Devon and Cornwall conducted the original investigation. The first court appearance is scheduled for 11 November 2026 at Bristol Magistrates' Court.
Why it matters
The case highlights accountability for organisations responsible for vulnerable adults' safety during recreational activities.
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