Radiohead on Stalled Stage Collapse Case: 'We Are Appalled'

Radiohead say they’re “appalled” at the staying of charges against parties implicated in the 2012 death of drum technician Scott Johnson in a stage collapse. In a new statement, the band write that the decision “is an insult to the memory of Scott Johnson, his parents and our crew.” They conclude, “It offers no consolation, closure or assurance that this kind of accident will not happen again.” Read the full statement below. It comes after a judge decided this week that the case’s many delays meant it had taken too long to come to trial, violating Canada’s trial time limits. On Wednesday, Thom Yorke tweeted “Words utterly fail me” in response to the decision.

The case had targeted Live Nation, scaffolding company Optex Staging and Services, and engineer Domenic Cugliari under Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act. The staying of the case means the charges are no longer going forward, though they could technically be revived within one year. Even the lawyer for Live Nation—who deny all wrongdoing—called the ruling “brutal” for Johnson’s family, according to The Globe and Mail.

To learn more about the case, read “Waiting on Justice for the Radiohead Stage Collapse That Killed Scott Johnson” on the Pitch.