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Deaths in 2001
Deaths in 2001
Deaths in 2002
Click on the names below for further case details
Click on the names below for further case details
*In January 2008 the High Court ruled that there would be a new inquest into these two cases. They were transferred to Worcestershire Coroner's Court . Deaths in 2005 Deaths in 2006
FURTHER DETAILS OF DEATHS
Alan Edmunds
Alan, a city caravan park owner, died at the Kings Acre Halt Caravan Park site after he drowned in a sewage drain that he was trying to unblock. The inquest was held at Herefordshire Coroner’s Court on 11 March 2002. A verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned. Health and Safety Executive officer, Hugh Emment, agreed that Mr Edmunds would have fallen in headfirst. He said the drain wall had bowed in on one side and together with the sloping ground outside, his movements would have been restricted. The blockage was caused by the roots of a nearby tree. Alan would normally have attempted such a job with a colleague. Summing up, Deputy Coroner, Mark Bricknell, said it had been a sad and unfortunate accident. He confirmed that Mr Edmunds had drowned.
Evan Millward
Evan, a timber worker at a builders yard, was found unconcious after a fall from a mezzanine storage platform which resulted in severe head injuries and a fractured skull. He was flown by air ambulance to Bristol's Frenchay hospital where he later died. An Environmental Health Officer told the inquest that exhaustive tests on the wooden steps could not find a reason for the fall. He said that FJ Williams were compliant with workplace safety and could not have done anything to avoid the incident. The inquest was held at Herefordshire Coroner’s Court on 6 August
2002. A verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned.
Kevin Butterton
Kevin, a SAS soldier, died during a live fire training exercise in Oman when he was hit in the head by shrapnel from a mortar shell. An inquest took place at Herefordshire Coroner’s Court in July 2003 and the jury returned a verdict of 'Accidental Death'. The Coroner David Halpern said the evidence suggested that Sgt Butterton's death was the result of a communication mix-up between two mortar operators. As a consequence of the mix-up one of the artillery guns was trained on the position where Keith and his colleagues were attacking from, instead of a line of imaginary mortars positioned 200m away. Evan Hughes
Evan, a self-employed farmer, was killed when he fell off a ladder while cleaning a barn. An inquest
took place at Herefordshire Coroner’s Court on 25 March 2003 when
the jury returned a verdict of 'Accidental Death'. James Plater
James, a vehicle recovery worker, was underneath a broken down lorry on the A40 carrying out repairs when another vehicle shunted into the vehicle crushing him. No inquest took place since the police laid driving charges against the driver. Keith Jones
Keith, a steel erector, died when he fell over 50 feet while working on the erection of a new warehouse for M & M Sports. He had gone up in a cherry picker to work on the steel frame. The inquest was held at Herefordshire Coroner’s Court on 11 December 2003 when a verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned. The inquest heard how the experienced steel erector was not wearing a safety harness while working in a cherry picker crane basket 50ft above the ground. The harness - when clipped to the basket - would have stopped Keith's subsequent fall. Keith was putting a bolt or pole joint in place when he fell from the picker, suffering a serious head injury. None of Keith' three-strong sub-contract crew had their harnesses on; they heard only an `horrific thud' as their boss hit the ground. Crew members, the inquest heard, were in cherry picker cranes working on the warehouse's steel frame over a Sunday morning - without telling either of the two companies responsible for overall health and safety supervision. One of the crew, Michael Negri said in evidence that the team would only wear their `uncomfortable and restrictive' harnesses when Keith insisted on it. Otherwise, he said, it was `understood' that they were optional. Mr Negri was up in a cherry picker with Keith when the incident occurred and told of trying to grab Keith as he went down. Keith, he said, may have been `over-reaching' while standing on the middle bar of the basket. Other evidence outlined Keith's not wearing a harness as out-of-character for a self-employed man of experience. The principal contractors had no issues with Keith's stance on health and safety and, during site visits, he and his team were seen working `safely and consistently' with helmets, harnesses and other appropriate kit. But there was no need for the team to be working that Sunday said David Thomas, managing director of Leominster based building contractors GP Thomas & Son. The project, said Mr Thomas, was well on time. Health and Safety inspector David Bagnall said cherry pickers were hard to fall from if harnesses were being worn. It was Mr Bagnall's supposition that the crew `might just have let their normal standards slip' that morning. County Coroner David Halpern told the jury that an accidental death verdict was appropriate if it decided, on the evidence, that Keith had fallen while `stretching that extra inch'.
Andrew Pursey
Andrew of Trevase, near St Weonards died in a farming incident when he was crushed between a tractor and a fertiliser spinner as he transferred fertiliser from one tractor to another. Andrew had been working alone at isolated Bettws Court, Orcop where he was found by his father and sister. He had just graduated from Reading University with a 2:1 degree in agriculture and business management. The inquest was held at Herefordshire Coroner’s Court on 26 January 2005 when a verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned. At the inquest in Hereford it was revealed that Andrew had failed to put on the park brake and died from acute hypoxia due to a compression injury. His father Roger Pursey, who found his son said Andrew was an experienced farmer. 'Andrew had been around that kind of machinery all his life and had passed his tractor test,' he said. Mr Pursey explained that emptying fertiliser bags was a quick job and that his son was probably trying to do too much too quickly. 'I think he was just trying to get as much done as possible before he went away for a year travelling around Australia with his friends,' he added. Accident investigator PC Nigel Phillips said that although the rough concrete surface appeared to be level at the site, tests proved the tractors could still jolt forward. PC Phillips explained that once the Massey Ferguson tractor had started moving, Andrew would have had only a split second to react. County Coroner David Halpern said Andrew's misjudgment in thinking that there was no need to put on the park brake for such a simple job had disastrous consequences. In recording a verdict of accidental death, he said, 'I obviously hold many inquests and many of them are about tragic incidents. But I think this is a specifically tragic case. It would be wrong to criticise Andrew as the flat surface lulled him into a false sense of security.'
Ian Jackson
Ian was visiting RE Williams abattoir in Weobley, Herefordshire to assess its hygiene standards, when he was attacked by a heifer. He sustained multiple injuries and was airlifted to Selly Oak hospital in Birmingham where he died hours later. The abattoir's chief, David Williams said that the cow was delivered to his plant on a lorry. 'When we opened the back gates, the animal had mounted an inner gate. Its head and chest were up in the air and we couldn't shut the lorry doors. It crushed the gate inside the lorry. I tried to stop it but it barged past me and got out. Mr Jackson was out in the yard and he tried to turn it around but the beast pushed into him and crushed his head against a lorry. His injuries were very severe.' The inquest was to be held at the Herefordshire Coroner's Court .
Gordon Campbell
Gordon, a lance-corporal in the Royal Marines Assault Group, fell to his death during a helicopter abseiling exercise, called 'fast roping', at the Pontrilas Army Training Area near Hereford. The inquest was held at the Herefordshire Coroner's Court in July 2007 when the Coroner David Halpern ruled that Gordon's death was 'Accidental'. The inquest heard evidence from other soldiers who saw Gordon still clinging on to the rope as the helicopter went up. But with no direct link between those on the ground and the aircrew, all the witnesses could do was wave and shout - actions lost amid the simulated battle at the Pontrilas. Seconds later, Gordon fell from the rope into woodland near the target site. Home Office pathologist Dr Peter Acland said the commando probably died instantly from "massive" injuries. The inquest was told that L/Cpl Campbell was one of a highly experienced three-man assault team tasked to drop from the helicopter on to the roof of the target building. All three were to slide several feet down lines using a technique known as fast roping, with their hands protected by heavy gloves. The helicopter pilot, known to the inquest as Soldier M, said he put the machine into a hover over the roof of the building so the three jumpers could drop. Though the ropes had lights attached, M couldn't see if the soldiers had landed and relied on his dispatcher - Soldier A - to say if they were down safely. When the all-clear was given, the pilot put the helicopter into a climb having felt Soldier A shifting from side-to-side across the back of the machine apparently making his checks. As the climb began, M suddenly heard Soldier A shout 'he's still on the rope'. Then 'he's gone off the rope'. Soldier A said, in evidence, that he had checked to see if - as training guidelines suggested - at least five feet of rope was on the roof either side of the helicopter. He then shoulder-tapped the assault team to jump from about 20-25ft up. The team leader - Soldier D - dropped safely down the starboard side. Soldier F then dropped safely down the port side. Gordon was supposed to slide straight down after the team leader. Soldier A refused to answer the coroner's questions about what he saw of Gordon's descent, saying he could incriminate himself if he did so. Under cross-examination he maintained that he had checked the starboard rope before giving the pilot an all-clear. Then, as he went to haul up the rope, Soldier A realised that it was still taut with Gordon hanging on as the helicopter gained height and speed. Lt Col Peter Terrett, who headed a military investigation into the death, said the probe could not pinpoint why the dispatcher made the mistake. Since the incident, the MoD had considered changes to the way such exercises were conducted, like better radio links between aircrews and the ground and two sets of checks to ensure drop ropes were clear, the inquest heard. In making his accidental death ruling, Mr Halpern said, 'Soldier A acted in the best interests of everyone that night, but made a mistake with fatal consequences. He thought or saw the rope was clear when it wasn't.'
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