Family's 3-year fight for justice.

IT took Stuart Foster's family almost three years to get a fatal accident inquiry into his death.

It was only achieved after their MSP Christine Grahame petitioned the Lord Advocate because of the "huge public concern over binge drinking in pubs and clubs".

Chilling CCTV images were vital - showing how Stuart was able to drink the equivalent of 17 pints of lager in just over two hours.

The security camera images gave a second-by-second account of Stuart drinking, then falling into unconsiousness, sliding off his chair.

He was made a figure of fun by bar staff.

And duty manager David Pennycook sat swinging his legs on the bar while Stuart had water poured over him and staff took photographs of him lying comatose.

Pathologists told the inquiry that Stuart could have survived if medical help had been summoned.

Stuart's father Willie said: "I'm sickened to think some of the staff who came to his funeral and shook our hands were the same people who laughed and threw water over him as he lay dying."

Chief Constable Paddy Tomkins pushed to stop the Cavendish keeping its licence.

But Edinburgh's licensing board only suspended it for three months.

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Licence rap: Cavendish