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Deaths in 2001
Deaths in 2001
*Case also listed in London 2001 file where incident leading to Marc's death occurred. Deaths in 2002
Click on the names below for further case details
Click on the names below for further case details
Click on the names below for further case details
Click on the names below for further case details
Click on the names below for further case details
FURTHER DETAILS OF DEATHS
Tara Whelan
Tara, a BT Customer Service Engineer, died of injuries sustained while working up a BT pole near Trowbridge. The trailer of an articulated lorry snagged a cable attached to the pole causing it to break. Tara was thrown to the ground, sustaining head injuries and died on 2 June 2001 at Frenchay Hospital, Bristol. The inquest was held at Wiltshire Coroner’s Court on 6 March 2003. A verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned. The inquest jury unanimously requested an investigation into aspects of BT procedures. The jury put forward a number of recommendations to remedy failures highlighted in the company's procedures and plant. Among other things the jury questioned the possibility of BT being prosecuted for Corporate Manslaughter but the CPS had already ruled that out as not being possible under current law and the Coroner was unable to make such a recommendation. At the close of the inquest, the CWU, the Communications Union, approached BT's Head of Health and Safety to request an immediate review of their procedures which has subsequently been completed. 'The CWU believes that the best tribute that can paid to Tara Whelan's memory is to ensure that no more incidents of this type occur again.' The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) brought a prosecution against BT, and after a four-week trial at Bristol Crown Court in November 2006, BT was acquitted of a single charge of failing to ensure the safety of their employees. After deliberating for eight-and-a-half hours, a reduced jury of ten people returned the not guilty verdict.
Back to Top Marc Polden
Marc, was asked to drain and remove an underground tank which contained engine oil. Marc, a labourer, used a petrol driven saw to cut into the tank. A fireball ensued causing 85 per cent burns to Marc's body. Marc died the next day in hospital. Terrance Raymond Astin, the joint owner and developer of the Notting Hill site in London where Marc was working, faced manslaughter charges and breaches of health and safety legislation. The jury at his trial at the Old Bailey Court which opened on 24 November 2003, found him not guilty of manslaughter. Mr Austin pleaded guilty to failing to discharge his duty as a self employed person. Mr Astin was acquitted of Marc's manslaughter but was fined a total of £40,000. HSE Inspector Adele Davies said, 'This was a foreseeable and avoidable incident; the removal of contaminated tanks is clearly a specialist activity, and a specialist company should have been engaged to carry out the work. Terrance Astin fell seriously short of the standards required to protect those who were working, with fatal consequences.' 'Adequate planning and implementation is essential, and profit should not be put ahead of safety,' she added. Sentencing Astin, Judge Anthony Morris QC said, 'The fireball caused him terrible injuries. You put profit before safety. In my judgment this was a serious accident merely waiting to happen.'
Back to Top Paul Edwards
Paul was working for a firm repairing fire damage to the roof of Fish Brothers Peugeot garage near Mannington Roundabout. He was killed when he was crushed against the roof while using a cherry picker. The inquest was held at Wiltshire and Swindon Coroner’s Court on 27 and 28 April 2004. Witnesses told the inquest jury how panic broke out among the eight-strong team as they tried to help him following the incident. Paul was using the platform designed to lift workers when he became pinned between its cage and a steel girder. The team working at the garage tried to over-ride the machine's controls from below but could not get Paul down, the inquest heard. Workers from the family-run IDM specialist damage cleaning firm in Birmingham unsuccessfully tried to slash the machine's tyres. Mechanics at the Fish Brothers' garage in Great Western Way also ran in when they heard the commotion and cut a hydraulic hose to try to get the machine to drop. Under cross-examination, IDM supervisor Mr Paterson said workers often did not use hard-hats or harnesses as instructed, and had been given limited or no training on the cherry pickers. He said he and others had no idea what to do in an emergency as they normally used a different type of machine. He and others also said they were told to sign to say they had read a training manual after Mr Edwards' death. Coroner Nigel Brookes said the incident was made even more tragic because IDM Ltd, part of Merryhill Envirotech, consisted almost entirely of Paul's friends and family. Mr Brookes recorded a verdict of 'Death by Misadventure'. He said he would be writing to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) about the possibility of better training and familiarisation of workers using plant hire machines. Mr Brookes also called for better labelling on machines and the introduction of improved safety guards on their levers and buttons. Cox Plant Hire Ltd, which hired out the cherry-picker to specialist damage cleaning firm IDM Ltd, has voluntarily introduced some of the changes. Paul's brother Stephen said he was very disappointed the jury had been told by the coroner a verdict of unlawful killing was not appropriate for consideration. 'We're all just gutted really. If we'd have had better training we could have got him down, but we didn't have a clue what to do. We just wanted someone from the firm to say they were responsible.' A spokesman for the HSE said they were considering further legal action.
Back to Top George Rogers
George, a truckdriver, was killed when he was ejected from the dumper truck he was driving, which then drove over him. The incident took place at a construction site on the Churchfield Industrial Estate in Salisbury The inquest was held at Wiltshire and Swindon Coroner’s Court on 17 January 2006 when a verdict of 'Death by Misadventure' was returned.
Back to Top Esmond Leggitt
Esmond died in a parachuting incident at the Netheravon jump centre near Devizes. Initial inquires showed that neither of his parachutes were deployed during a 13,000 feet jump Esmond was a seasoned parachutist and regular visitor to Netheravon, home of the Red Devils. The inquest was held at Wiltshire and Swindon Coroner’s Court 27 September 2004 when an 'Open' verdict was returned. In February 2004 the Safety and Training Committee of the British Parachute Association voted in the light of the circumstances of Esmond's death to make the fitting of AADs (Automatic Activation Devices) mandatory.
Back to Top Alice Spinney
Alice, a shepherd, died when the tractor she had just got off pinned her against a gate. The inquest was held at Wiltshire and Swindon Coroner’s Court 27 September 2004 when a verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned.
Back to Top Timothy Kynaston
Timothy who worked for T H White Installations had been servicing a corn dryer at at Manor Farm in Kingston Deverill (belonging to Richard Stratton), which required him to cross a fragile asbestos roof along a narrow wooden plank, measuring nine inches wide. On his second trip across the roof Timothy fell eight metres to his death through a skylight onto the concrete below. The inquest was held at Wiltshire and Swindon Coroner’s Court in Salisbury on in September 2006 and recorded a verdict of 'Misadventure'. The jury were given the option of returning a verdict of accidental death or misadventure after coroner Nigel Brookes removed the possibility of unlawful killing or a narrative verdict. The court heard how Timothy had been particularly safety conscious and had been trying to change the culture of health and safety in the company. On the day of his death Timothy had concerns about the roof and his immediate manager Andrew Lee had warned him to be careful when crossing the plank but his concerns had not been recorded to anyone higher up the management chain. The court also heard the company directors had not completed a risk assessment of the site but expected lower managers, without adequate health and safety training, to assess the area. Summing up, Mr Brookes said '(Timothy) was probably one of the most safety conscious employees T H White had at that time. He was not afraid of bringing matters to the attention of his employers. He was aware that he could have contacted people about the situation but he chose not to. It is ironic that it was the most safety conscious one who died on this particular occasion.' Timothy's brother Chris Kynaston who attended the hearing with two of his brothers, said, 'It's a huge disappointment. We do not feel that the inquest process has served workplace deaths or us at all well. We feel the verdict is wrong and inadequate and doesn't describe the whole situation. As far as we are concerned, there is no difference between an accidental and misadventure verdict. We've waited two years to get all the details but we nor the jury were able to hear a lot of them because three of the principle witnesses chose not to answer so as not to incriminate themselves.' In September 2007 Swindon Crown Court TH White Installations Limited of Devizes and RF Stratton & Company, owners of Manor Farm, Kingston Deverill, Wiltshire, were fined £35,000 and £35,000 (£17,500 for each breach) respectively and each ordered to pay costs of £8,000 after pleading guilty to breaches of the Health and Safety at Work, etc., Act 1974. TH White were charged with breaching Section 2 (1) of the Act and RF Stratton & Co were charged with breaching both Section 2 (1) and 3 (1). But speaking for the family Marius Kynaston 'It is not even the salary for a year for the managing director of TH White. We feel the company should have been prosecuted for corporate manslaughter. We came here knowing whatever fine they got would be laughable. TH White Installations are going to make a profit of £50,000 this year, we heard. The fine is no even going to negate that profit. TH White as a company has an annual profit of £1.3 million and net assets of £13 millions. £35,000 is like a drop in the ocean. Mr Stratton has a turnover of £1m and net assets of £1.2 millions. He is a millionaire farmer.' Commenting on the case, HSE inspector Andy Shaw said, 'This incident clearly demonstrates the inherent dangers which exist in any work at height. A serious fall such as the one in this case will often result in a fatality - however, there are also many cases where falls from below head-height have caused serious injury or even death. Employers need to be aware of the dangers and take appropriate action to reduce the risks before an incident occurs. There is a great deal of help and guidance available to help companies get it right and a relatively small investment in good safety measures could not only save lives but also save money in the long run, especially in terms of sickness absence and enforcement action. All that is required is a sensible assessment of the risks and the subsequent adoption of appropriate safety measures.' HSE figures released in 2007 showed that 46 people died and 3351 suffered serious injury in Great Britain as a result of a fall from height in the workplace.
Back to Top Mark and Luke Wells
Mark Wells and his son Luke drowned when the vehicle they were using to cut hedges along the banks of the Kennet and Avon canal near Pewsey plunged into the water, turning upside down and trapping them inside. The inquest was held at Wiltshire and Swindon Coroner’s Court in Salisbury on 26 January 2006 and recorded a verdict of 'Misadventure'. The inquest heard that Mark and Luke had been working on the canal towpath for British Waterways when they died, but no checks had been carried out by the company. Despite guidelines stating that there should be a distance of 1.3m between the edge of the bank and the tractor, the inquest heard sections of the path where the accident happened were the same width as the tractor itself. The inquest heard that Mark Wells had been contracted to carry out hedge-cutting work by British Waterways for two years. He had taken Luke into his fencing and landscaping business as a partner. The blue Ford tractor they were using to carry out the work was found in the canal, close to the bridge. There was an area of bank which had collapsed and it is thought this had given way under the weight of the tractor. In March 2007 at Swindon Crown Court British Waterways was fined £100,000 after admitting safety breaches that led to the two deaths. British Waterways admitted it had breached safety regulations, that cost two men their lives. In a statement, the company said, 'BW accepts that it failed on this occasion to conduct its operations in a way to ensure, so far as is reasonably practical, the prevention of an accident.'
Back to Top Raymond Pike
Raymond died after he was run over in a incident involving a forklift truck at Boscombe Down airfield while working as a contractor on the runway at the QinetiQ site. The inquest was held at Wiltshire and Swindon Coroner’s Court in Salisbury on 13 and 14 September 2006 and returned a 'narrative' verdict.
Back to Top John Farrow
John died in an incident at East Cliff Farm in Wiltshire. The inquest was held at Wiltshire and Swindon Coroner’s Court on 23 January April 2006 when a 'narrative' verdict was returned: 'At approximately 10.30am on 28 June 2005 Mr Farrow was driving a Honda 500 ATV on East Cliff Farm. He was not wearing any form of protective headgear. He was travelling down a tarmac track towards the farm building. for reasons unknown Mr Farrow lost control of the vehicle which subsequently overturned and came to rest trapping him beneath it. This accident caused the head injuries which resulted in Mr Farrow's death.'
Back to Top Paul McGuire
Paul died after trying to clear a cardboard blockage at the top of an industrial bailer. Fellow employees had seen him standing on top of a conveyor belt minutes before he fell into the bailer. Paul, a former soldier, had worked at the Sita recycling depot near Cricklade for less than three months when he died. The inquest was held at Wiltshire and Swindon Coroner’s Court in Salisbury from 4 to 6 April 2006 when a verdict of 'Death by Misadventure' was returned. The hearing was told by foreman Stuart Liddell that a harness that could have prevented Paul falling to his death had been removed for a safety test, Coroner David Masters said that there was a horrible irony to that. Paul's widow, after the verdict, told of her relief and anger . Sophie McGuire said she was angry at the circumstances surrounding Paul's death. she said, 'No words really can describe the way I feel about the verdict that was given today. If that machine had been in the condition it is in now, Paul would not have died.' During the inquest the court heard that since the accident major health and safety improvements had been made to the bailing machines. The changes were made in response to 12-hour working days and claims from staff that they had not been trained in health and safety. The Health and Safety Executive said it had not ruled out pursuing a prosecution against Sita, which Mrs McGuire welcomed. She said, 'I would like to see a prosecution come from the Health and Safety Executive.'
Back to Top Tim Bullock
Tim died while working at North Farm, in Norton Bavant. He had been driving along a grass track behind a colleague when his tractor drifted to the right and toppled over the edge of the hill. The inquest was held at Wiltshire and Swindon Coroner’s Court in Salisbury on 12 September 2006 when a verdict of 'Accidental Death' was returned. At the inquest, held in front of a jury at Salisbury Coroners' Court, the court heard how he was not wearing a seatbelt and was thrown out of the Valmet tractor he was driving. The tractor rolled over several times down the hill before resting upside down by a tree. Coroner David Masters made the recommendation that there should be more publicity about the requirement to fit seatbelts in farm vehicles, which are at risk of overturning, although he added it was likely Tim would still have died even if one had been fitted. Tim had returned to work after a long lay off due to a blood disorder and arthritis, for which he took medication every Wednesday. His widow Rosemary said on a Tuesday her husband would often look pallid 'and was likely to drop off if he sat down.' She said he usually took a snack to work with him but on the day of his death he had not. 'When the medication was beginning to wear off his body would start to wear down, particularly when he was not having food,' she said. Gordon Bulwell, a fellow farm worker who had been driving about 50 yards in front of tim, described how he had looked out of his right wing mirror to see the tractor fall. 'I stopped straight away and ran to the edge of the hill and saw the tractor roll over at least two and a half times. The trailer became detached,' he said. 'I ran down the hill to check on Tim and was shouting, "Tim, are you ok?". He wasn't in the cab and I saw him lying on his back further up the hill. I ran to him and could see he was in a bad way." Health and safety inspectors and police officers who attended the scene said track marks suggested Tim had not attempted to steer or brake sharply to avoid tipping over the edge of the hill. Summing up, coroner Mr Masters said, 'The evidence appears to suggest that Mr Bullock was unaware of what was happening. There is no evidence he tried to recover the tractor or steer away from the edge of the hill.' The jury concluded Tim died of multiple injuries and that the accident probably happened due to a blackout possibly because he had not eaten for several hours.
Back to Top Gavin Williams
Gavin collapsed at Lucknow Barracks in an alleged episode of what is known in Army slang as 'beasting' - pushing someone to their physical and emotional limits. He collapsed from overheating Pte Gavin Williams, who served with the 2nd Battalion Royal Welsh, based at the barracks in Tidworth, had been in detention facing army discipline proceedings for a number of incidents, said to include a prank with fire-fighting equipment. Gavin, who had served with the battalion for about six months, lived with his mother and sister in Penpedairheol, near Gelligaer, south Wales. Wiltshire Police investigated the death and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said in July 2007 it had advised the force to charge three servicemen - Sgt Russell Price, Sgt Paul Blake and Cpl John Edwards - with manslaughter following the death. Stephen O’Doherty, the CPS reviewing lawyer, said, 'Pte Williams...was to be charged and would have faced sanctions and an inquiry into a series of alleged disciplinary breaches he had committed. However, Sgt Price, Sgt Blake and Cpl Edwards (allegedly) chose to subject him to an intense period of physical activity amounting to unlawful punishment, on an extremely hot day. Tragically, Pte Williams collapsed and despite hospital treatment for overheating, died the same day.' Wilts Police confirmed that they had charged the three, who were bailed to appear at Salisbury Magistrates’ Court on August 1 2007 A police spokesman added that, following the CPS advice, five other men who were arrested in connection with the incident would not now be required to answer to police bail. Chief Supt Mike Veale said, 'From the very first day of this investigation we have provided support for the family of Gavin and we will continue to do so until the conclusion of the judicial process.' The inquest is to be held at Wiltshire and Swindon Coroner’s Court on a date yet to be set.
Back to Top Paul Sharp
Paul died after he collapsed whilst cleaning an empty silo 70ft above the ground at Southern Valley Feeds in Wiltshire. He collapsed at the bottom of the silo and was winched back up by colleagues at the Calne Mill on Portmarsh Industrial Estate. Paul worked for Lincolnshire-based company, Silocare. Ambulance crews, who believe he had a heart attack, tried to resuscitate the man on a tiny platform before he was airlifted to Great Western Hospital. The ambulance crew carried out a dramatic rescue attempt which involved walking across a narrow wall and climbing two sets of ladders up the silo. The inquest is to be held at Wiltshire and Swindon Coroner’s Court on a date yet to be set.
Back to Top Michael Minns
Michael was a driver in 9 Supply Regiment, Royal Logistics Corps. He died at Fowler Barracks near Tidworth after being crushed as he carried out a routine inspection on a military vehicle. Private Michael Minns, from Northern Ireland, was performing a 'first parade check' on an eight-wheeled military vehicle with another soldier. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said the private became trapped between the vehicle and a mobile flatbed transporter at the base in Ludgershall. The inquest was held at Wiltshire and Swindon Coroner’s Court on 19 June 2007. A verdict of 'Misadventure' was recorded after hearing how Pte Minns became trapped under the vehicle's raised bed. He was crushed when another soldier lowered the bed, the hearing heard.
Back to Top Robert Sanders
Robert, a farmer, was crushed by a tractor at Bridzor Farm in Tisbury near Salisbury. The inquest is to be held at Wiltshire and Swindon Coroner’s Court. No date has yet been set.
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