Mass hysteria in square court told

Press, 4 March 1983, Page 9

Mass hysteria in square court told

NZPA London Thousands of New Year's revellers in Trafalgar Square. London, had been gripped by "mass hysteria" when the throng surged forward and crushed two women to death, an inquest heard yesterday. "You couldn't reason with anyone." said John Carpenter. an accounting clerk from south London.

"It was the most frightening thing I have ever witnessed. The crowd was just in mass hysteria."

Another witness. Penelope Hammond, told the jury at the Westminster Coroners' Court: "There was a girl crushed against the barrier. There was a girl lying on the ground. People were screaming 'get back' but everyone was still laughing and joking"

In a night of drunken revelry at London's traditional New Year’s gathering spot. Joan Leary, aged 44. a widow and mother of tw’o, and a Zimbabwean-born South African student. Deborah Smith, aged 21, were crushed to death when a pedestrian barrier gave way and the churning mob rushed forward.

The jury recorded a verdict of death by misadventure.

Some 500 other people in the crowd of about 150,000 were injured, 145 requiring hospital treatment.

Witnesses described how revellers had piled on top of one another after the barrier collapsed. A police officer. James Powell, said that he had pulled Mrs Leary out from under “a pile of people” as high as his waist.