A senior coroner has criticized Polish hotel management for refusing to share CCTV footage that might have shed light on the death of British businessman Steve McBride. McBride, a 40-year-old recruitment expert and father of three, died after falling 36 feet from a rooftop at the four-star Hotel Bania in Bialka Tatrzanska, Poland, during a team-building trip.
Senior coroner for East London, Graeme Irvine, described the hotel's refusal to hand over footage as "shameful," stating that the request was reasonable and there was no justification for its denial. The hotel is located near the Slovakian border.
McBride had been attending a team-building event with colleagues. On the evening before his death, he had dinner and drinks with his team. His co-workers reportedly walked him back to his room but realized they still had his keys. Evidence gathered suggests McBride then left his room, possibly to retrieve his keys, opened a corridor window, and went onto the sloped roof of the building. He apparently lost his balance, fell onto another roof, and then dropped to his death.
His body was discovered the following day by returning colleagues. Hotel security had reportedly advised guests to follow a specific route due to the hotel's disorienting layout.
McBride, who co-founded the recruitment consultancy Discover International with offices in the UK, Poland, and the United States, was the managing director of the company. The firm specializes in life sciences and reported a turnover of £21 million in 2024. His widow, Laura McBride, who is a banking professional, hired a private investigator to ascertain the details of her husband's death. The couple, married in Italy in 2019, had two daughters at the time of his death, and a third child was born posthumously.
An inquest heard that McBride had a blood alcohol concentration of 1.9, which is more than twice the Polish drink-drive limit. However, Coroner Irvine stated this did not contribute to his death and that McBride was in good health. His business co-founder, Adam Matthews, 45, testified that McBride had recently adopted a healthier lifestyle upon learning of his impending third child.
The coroner ruled out suicide, citing McBride's positive spirits, anticipation of his child's birth, and overall happiness. Due to insufficient evidence for an accidental death verdict, an open verdict was recorded. Coroner Irvine extended his condolences to the McBride family for their "dreadfully sad" loss, praising Mrs. McBride for her cooperation during the hearing. Mage4
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