Groom spends honeymoon in hospital after he fell through Falmouth hotel balcony

Matt Bullivant lent on the wooden balcony, which collapsed due to rotting
He split his head open, shattered his hand and was off work for 3 months
The Cornwall guest house’s owners were ordered to pay over £14,000

Annabel Fenwick Elliott for MailOnline

Published:
10:15 EST, 27 September 2016

|
Updated:
12:45 EST, 28 September 2016

e-mail

View
comments

A new husband suffered a honeymoon from hell when he was seriously injured after plummeting head first through a rotted balcony.

Matt Bullivant, 36, from Peterborough, had only just arrived at the bed and breakfast with his new wife Marilyn, 51, when he went out to catch a glimpse of the surroundings.

But the flimsy balustrade at the Chellowdene guest house in Falmouth, Cornwall, cracked under his weight and he fell 15ft – shattering his right hand and spitting open his head.

Matt Bullivant, 36, spent most of his Cornwall honeymoon in hospital (pictured) after he fell through rotting wood on their hotel’s balcony and landed on his head

The rest of his week-long honeymoon was spent in hospital.

The guest house owners Troy and Julie McCann, aged 48 and 49, pleaded guilty at Truro Magistrates’ Court to failing to properly maintain the balcony and were each ordered to pay more than £7,000.

And speaking after the case, Mr Bullivant said he feared his married life could have got off to an even worse start – and said the incident could have been fatal.

Lucky escape for 29 passengers and crew after plane…

How happy is YOUR town? Interactive map shows Outer Hebrides…

Mr Bullivant, who has three children from a a previous relationship, said: ‘We had only been there for about 20 minutes.

‘I looked out onto the balcony, put the kettle on then went back out onto it.

‘I put my hand onto the top of it [the balcony] – it just cracked and I went with it.

‘There was no way of telling it was rotten. It looked fine.’

Mr Bullivant had 25 stitches (left) and a metal plate in his right hand after falling from the crumbling ledge (right) and blames the hotel’s owners for not maintaining the property

Mr Bullivant, pictured with wife Marilyn, 51 (left) on their wedding day, had only just arrived at the hotel when he went out and leaned on the balcony ledge

Mr Bullivant, had picked the guest house for his honeymoon and they arrived on September 21 of last year.

After standing on the balcony and looking out at the view he came crashing down.

Dazed, confused and covered in blood, he didn’t know what had hit him.

His wife then came running out, closely followed by the hotel owner.

Mr Bullivant, who works as a warehouse operative, spent three days in hospital where he received 25 stitches and was off work for three and a half months.

Mr Bullivant, who works as a warehouse operative, spent three miserable days in hospital

Following this, he was off work for three and a half months and still suffers ‘constant pain’ in his right hand

Troy and Julie McCann, who live at the guest house (pictured after the collapse) were described at court as ‘highly respected hoteliers’ with no previous health and safety breaches

He still suffers ‘constant pain’ in his right hand – which has a metal plate in it – and he cannot feel the top half of his back.

‘I split my head open. My eyelid was hanging off. I have nerve damage in my back.

‘We were meant to stay in Falmouth for a week but ended up in hospital for a week instead.’

Mr Bullivant is now awaiting compensation for the accident – and has dealt with it through the courts.

Troy and Julie McCann, who live at the guest house were described at court as ‘highly respected hoteliers’ with no previous health and safety breaches.

The owners of the hotel, located in Falmouth (pictured), were ordered to pay more than £14,000 by the courts and Mr Bullivant blames them for not maintaining the property

Kingsley Keat, prosecuting on behalf of Cornwall Council, said: ‘When the gentleman leant on it he fell straight forward and landed on his head.’

The couple were each fined £4,000 and ordered to pay costs of £3,037 each.

Mr Bullivant revealed after the case that he was off work for three and a half months.

He added: ‘I was angry with them to start with – they should’ve maintained the property.

‘If it was my wife or kids out on the balcony they could’ve died.’