Courts / Ireland / Report

Telling families how to avoid involvement in legal system added 'insult to injury', victim's brother tells Stardust inquest

Summary

During the Stardust inquest, John Lewis, brother of victim Paula, recounted the profound grief his family endured after her death in the 1981 nightclub fire. He described Paula as a kind, music‑loving young woman who would share her wages with her mother and enjoyed reading Mills and Boon. Lewis lamented the delay in identifying her body, the funeral, and the emotional toll on the family, noting that the loss continues to affect them at every gathering. He also criticized experts who assessed Paula's worth and advised the family on avoiding a legal system that seemed inaccessible to working‑class people. Lewis concluded that while closure may never be achieved, the family still seeks justice and remembrance for Paula.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Telling families how to avoid involvement in legal system added 'insult to injury', victim's brother tells Stardust inquest. Procedural stage: trial

When:

• February 14, 1981 Hearing Or Sentence
• February 13, 1981 Other
• February 16 Other
• 2023-05-10 Publication

Why: Then, to add insult to injury, for so-called experts to tell us what our Paula was worth, and what we should do to avoid getting involved in a legal system that most of us would not have had access to anyway because we were working class people. CNI source report

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Trial

Read the original CNI report