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Woman still suffers 'agonising pain' after nitrogen shot

Gaby Scanlon still suffers 'episodes of agonising pain' after drinking a cocktail containing liquid nitrogen

A woman is still suffering 'episodes of agonising pain' more than two-and-a-half years after she drank a cocktail containing liquid nitrogen, her lawyer said.

Gaby Scanlon, from Heysham, Lancashire, was celebrating a 'low-key' 18th birthday with friends at Oscar's Wine Bar and Bistro in Lancaster in October 2012 when she drank the shot Nitro-Jagermeister.

Today, Oscar's Wine Bar pleaded guilty at Preston Crown Court to failing in the duty of an employer to ensure the safety of persons not in its employment and failing to ensure there was a safe system in place to prevent customers being exposed to injury from the consumption of the drink.

Welcoming the plea, the law firm representing Miss Scanlon and her family said the incident had "completely changed" the life of their client and that the effects had been "severe".

Patricia Noone, from Slater and Gordon, said:

"Gaby was an ordinary teenager with a bright future in front of her, but what happened on 4th October 2012, on what was intended as a low-key celebration for her 18th birthday, completely changed her life."

"She now suffers episodes of agonising pain and has been hospitalised several times. She has to avoid certain foods and can no longer enjoy eating, finding it hard to judge when she is full. She can only eat little and often and sometimes has to get up and snack several times during the night."

"She is unable to work full-time due to her lack of energy and frequent illness, and understandably her condition and the knowledge that crippling pain could attack her at any time has left her anxious."

"Gaby is a brave and determined young woman but there is no doubt that the effect on her has been severe. She has had to watch all her friends go off to university while she struggles to get her life back on track."

"Her hope and ours is that this serves as a warning to all bars and restaurants who must take responsibility for what they are serving to members of the public."

"It's reasonable to assume that what you are given in a bar or a restaurant is safe and they are legally obliged to make sure that is the case."

– Patricia Noone, Slater and Gordon

Oscar's Wine Bar Limited will be sentenced on September 17.