Radiohead has issued a statement in response to a disciplinary hearing held in regard to Domenic Cugliari, the engineer involved in the fatal 2012 Toronto stage collapse that killed the band’s drum tech, Scott Johnson.

The hearing was completed on November 16 by the Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario. According to an Instagram post by Radiohead, during the proceedings, Cugliari “acknowledged…his catalogue of errors and the negligence on his part that led to the stage collapse and Scott’s death.”

“These admissions are 8 years too late,” Radiohead writes.

Charges connected to Johnson’s death against Cugliari, promoter Live Nation and contractor Optex Staging were stayed in 2017 by an Ontario judge, who ruled that the case was taking too long and violated the defendants’ rights to a timely hearing. At the time, Radiohead wrote that they were “appalled” by the judge’s decision.

“If the evidence now accepted by Mr. Cugliari had been agreed at the original court case brought against him, [Live Nation] and the contractor Optex Staging, it would have been complete in one day, with a very different outcome and some justice would have been delivered,” Radiohead now writes.

“As it is, Mr. Cugliari has now retired and is seemingly beyond any legal recrimination.”

“This is a sad day,” the group adds. “Our thoughts and love are, as ever, with Scott’s parents, Ken and Sue Johnson, his family and friends, and our crew.”

By Josh Johnson
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