Bar staff 'in disbelief' after 'joyful' man killed in crash

JAY HAD BLOWN STAFF AWAY WITH HIS COVERS OF SONGS FROM THE BEATLES AND ELVIS PRESLEY 16:40, 20 May 2025 Staff at a bar are in “absolute disbelief” after one of its regular singers died. Jay

Newby-Gallagher died following a crash between a motorbike and a blue Renault Zoe on Northway in Maghull at around 8.30am on Wednesday, May 14. The keen biker was on a Suzuki motorbike that

was involved in a crash with a car outside the Aldi store at the junction of Dover Road. The 34-year-old, who is from the Maghull area, died at the scene. A tribute from Jay’s family

described him as the “kindest, most loyal, loving, and funny person you could ever meet”. There was also a moving message from The Scotch Piper Inn in Lydiate, where Jay used to perform. Jay

was also a regular singer at the Petrichor Coffee House and Bar in Aintree. Yesterday on Instagram, the pub shared a montage of Jay performing in the venue over the top of a track of him

covering Babylon by David Gray. Petrichor revealed Jay had blown staff away with his covers of songs from The Beatles and Elvis Presley. He said staff were in “absolute disbelief” following

the tragic incident. The bar said: “Jay Newby-Gallagher, one of the most talented, joyful, and loyal men we have ever had the pleasure of meeting, and this is something we never thought we

would have to be writing... “Jay first popped up on our radar in Petrichor, on a sunny Sunday afternoon, when he asked if he could jump up at the end of one of our singer's sets to do a

couple of quick songs for everyone. Jay proceeded to belt out two fantastic covers of The Beatles and Elvis, which we just could not ignore. “Without any hesitation, Jay was asked if he was

available to become a resident singer at Petrichor, and later on, to wow everyone in Walton with his commonly requested and incredible renditions of 'Rattlin' Bog' and

'Seven Drunk Nights,' which never failed to get everyone up clapping, laughing, and singing along with him. “The news of Jay's passing on Wednesday has hit the team incredibly

hard and still leaves us in absolute disbelief. We are so grateful to have had the pleasure of crossing paths with Jay and for the joy he has brought to ourselves and to our customers

during every one of his performances. “Our most sincere condolences are with Jay's family and friends in this immensely difficult time, and we would like to assure them that the team in

Petrichor and Terra Preta offer our full support in any way we can going forward. “Today, Jay would have been performing for his usual eager followers, but this time, we will be taking the

opportunity to raise a glass in his memory. I have hope that one day, our paths will cross again. Rest easy, Jay. We will all miss you so much.” An investigation by Merseyside Police into

the crash is ongoing. Last Friday (May 15), the force said a 34-year-old woman from South Tyneside, who was arrested on suspicion of causing death by careless driving, has been released on

conditional bail. DS Kurt Timpson, the lead investigating officer from Merseyside Police's serious collision investigation unit, previously thanked members of the public who rushed to

Mr Newby-Gallagher's aid following the crash. He also issued an appeal to anyone with information about the incident to come forward. He said: "My thoughts and those of my team

remain with Jay’s family at this very sad time. My priority is to establish the circumstances leading up to the collision and get answers for his family. "We are therefore renewing our

appeal to anyone who witnessed the collision, the events leading up to it or anyone who has CCTV or dashcam to please get in touch, if you haven’t already. "I would also like to thank

members of the community who assisted at the scene with first aid and for the patience of the public whilst we had a vast area of the road network closed for investigation work." When

contacted by the ECHO today, a spokesperson for the force said they had no further updates to share about the case. Article continues below Anyone with information is asked to DM @MerPolCC,

contact SCIU on 0151 777 5747, or email [email protected] quoting log reference 25000396588.