A 23 year old man has died on October 7th at the Lincoln County Hospital, after being in a critical condition due to a serious incident in the early hours of October 4th at the Engine Shed.
An eyewitness recalls: “They were pumping his chest so his heart must have stopped, and it was ages before the ambulance left. It was the saddest thing I’ve seen in my life, I’ve never seen a person like that before.”
William Pleasants, originally from Barrington, near Royston, Cambridgeshire, was visiting his sister who is a student at the University of Lincoln. On Saturday they both went out to the Engine Shed. William was in a critical condition at Lincoln County Hospital since Saturday and his parents have returned from their holiday in Greece to be at his side.
The scene at the Engine Shed was cordoned off and forensically examined. An eyewitness recalls that people “were kept in the Engine Shed, with the bar still open and live music being played until roughly 3.30 am.” “We were then escorted out by police, who took our names and telephone numbers individually. There were no bouncers in sight as we left Engine Shed, and the bridge was cordoned off with police tape, forcing us to walk home past the Architecture Building.”
The circumstances of how William became so ill are yet unknown. Five men and one woman were arrested and questioned. They were later released on police bail pending further enquiries and to return to Lincoln police station later in October. Police were looking for a man dressed in a yellow T-shirt with a motif on the front. He is 6’1″ tall and may have been wearing a blue zip-up jumper and jeans. The man reportedly saw William just before he went unconscious
UPDATE 1: Police have now found the man wearing a yellow t-shirt. They believe there may have been a previous altercation inside the club. CCTV footage from the scene is also analysed.
UPDATE 2: The cause of death is unknown at this stage. A Home Office pathologist will carry out a post mortem this afternoon.
UPDATE 3: The Engine Shed and associated bars will close at 5pm today, Tuesday, 7 October, until 11am on Wednesday 8 October, as a mark of respect of William Pleasants’ death. Those with tickets to see comedian Frankie Boyle, part of the Lincoln Comedy Festival, at the Engine Shed tonight will receive a full refund on ticket purchases from their ticket seller. Alternatively, the Engine Shed is trying to reschedule this event and those with tickets will be guaranteed seats.
UPDATE 4: Floral tributes were laid on the bridge facing the Engine Shed by close friends from the family’s home town of Barrington, Cambridgeshire. William was picked up by the Ambulance on the early hours of Saturday from this spot.
UPDATE 5: Police said that The cause of William’s death is unknown at this stage as a Home Office pathologist carried out a post mortem yesterday afternoon. Police are also trying to trace a man believed to be involved in the incident inside the club, who is described as 6ft, approximately 20 years old and of a large build. The man was wearing a short sleeved, dark coloured top and had gelled spiky short hair. Police would also like to speak to the woman with this man, who is also believed to have been involved in the incident. The woman is approximately 5 foot 6, medium build with collar length hair. She was wearing a vest type top.
UPDATE 6: Police now believe that “there was an altercation inside the club and that following this, William was restrained by door staff outside the club”. They are continuing to appeal for witnesses to the incident at the Engine Shed to contact them in confidence.
Police are still investigating this case.
Related coverage:
[Oct. 9] Cambridge News: Lincoln clubber death probe continues
[Oct. 9] Cambridge News: Clubber family’s tribute to ‘wonderful son’
[Oct. 8] Cambridge News: Clubber’s cause of death still unclear, tests show
[Oct. 8] Fenland Citizen: Nightclub row man dies
[Oct. 8] Lincolnshire Echo: Nightspot shut as second tragedy hits family
[Oct. 7] Cambridge News: Village’s shock after new blow for family
[Oct. 7] BBC News Lincolnshire: Man dies after nightclub ejection
[Oct. 7] Cambridge News: Man injured outside nightclub dies in hospital
[Oct. 7] Lincolnshire Echo: Police in witness appeal after clubber’s death
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[Oct. 6] Lincolnshire Echo: Key witness sought to city centre ‘assault’