Friend of tragic Wirral teen Georgia Varley tells court of her final hours

Nov 7 2012 by John Siddle, Liverpool Echo

THE tragic last hours of Wirral teenager Georgia Varley killed when she fell under a late-night train at James Street station were relived in court yesterday.

Georgia Varley, 16, died last October after mistakenly getting off the last train from Wirral and falling between the platform and the train.

Train guard Christopher McGee, 45, is standing trial on a manslaughter charge, accused of signalling for the train to move off while she was leaning on it.

The court heard evidence from Georgia’s friend Holly Nethercott, 17, who said the pair had been at a house party before venturing to Liverpool for a night out.

She told how Georgia was “very drunk”.

Speaking from behind a screen, Ms Nethercott told of her belief that Georgia fell down a set of stairs at their friend Madeleine Bowers’ house after taking the drug.

Friends had considered ringing for an ambulance and had attempted to persuade Georgia to go home.

She said Georgia had drank two-thirds of a 70cl bottle of vodka at the party.

Ms Nethercott said: “She was really drunk. I tried to take the bottle of vodka off her but she found it and started drinking it again.”

* Read more: Teenager Georgia Varley who died after falling under Merseyrail train was drunk and had party drug Mcat in her system

Asked by McGee’s barrister Peter Birkett QC if Georgia was “particularly drunk”, Ms Nethercott agreed and said: “I had seen her drunk before and I know that if you didn’t stop her, she will just carry on.”

After more than two hours at the house party, the group of 40 teens got on the last Merseyrail train of the night at Manor Road station on the West Kirby line.

The petite Birkenhead Sixth Form Student, from Moreton, first got off the train at Meols station telling friends she had lost her handbag.

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