Gran crushed to death after wall collapsed on her during washing | UK | News

An inquest heard that the grandmother tragically died when a wall collapsed on her while she was hanging her laundry. Clarice Berry, 77, from Wigan, was buried under 10 feet of rubble when the gable end of her semi-detached house collapsed on July 18, 2021.

The inquest previously heard that while he was hanging laundry under the garage of his property in Old Lane, Shevington, bricks of the wall, dubbed a ‘ticking time bomb’, collapsed and fell on him.

Horrified neighbors and passers-by, who described the sound as if a ‘bomb had gone off’, rushed to the scene and desperately tried to save Ms Berry from the rubble. The married grandmother of six, a retired kitchen assistant, was eventually freed by firefighters and taken to Wigan Infirmary, where she later died.

Coroner Briona Hartley described the death as ‘senseless’ and a ‘tragedy’ at the inquest at Bolton Coroner’s Court on Monday, June 29. He also condemned the property owner’s failure to carry out brick repairs, which he said Ms. Berry’s husband, Arthur, had repeatedly raised concerns about.

The investigation was first opened in July 2021. The coroner also stated that any “competent building inspector or homeowner” with “common sense” could have prevented the tragedy from occurring. Manchester Evening News.

The court was told that temperatures soared to 32 degrees Celsius on the sunny day and Mr Berry went to visit Amanda Berry-Smith, one of his two daughters.

However, when he returned home, he encountered great devastation. The coroner said: “Tragedy is an overused word but Arthur found it when he came home that afternoon.”

Mr. Berry and his neighbors forced open the warehouse doors and tried desperately to reach Mrs. Berry; They smashed bricks with their bare hands until emergency services arrived. The court heard how investigations carried out by Health and Safety Executive inspector George Smart, who gave evidence at the inquest, revealed a fundamental structural failure in the wall.

The court was also told that Mr Berry had repeatedly expressed concerns about the overflowing wall to his landlord, Mr Schlomo Klein. Ms Hartley said: “The senseless tragedy of Clarice’s death is that any expert investigator could literally describe it as a ticking time bomb.

“I find that any reasonably competent property management company and/or responsible landlord would use common sense to at least ensure that the wall is monitored for any signs of progress and ensure that a structural survey is carried out no later than 2018.”

“Any resistance from the landlord – and I would like to make it clear that I do not think there would be such resistance – could have been overcome by a report to the local authority’s Housing Standards Team.

“The structural collapse of all three roofs and end walls resulted from long-standing wall joint failure. The wall had been visibly bulging for years and had been reported and recorded as requiring immediate attention.”

The court was told that despite the couple expressing their concerns, no structural inspection or repair work had been carried out. The defect continued to worsen, ultimately leading to the collapse that claimed Ms Berry’s life.

Miss Hartley said: “Had steps been taken to investigate the known and worsening structural defect, on the balance of probabilities remedial action would have been taken and the collapse which caused the deceased’s death would have been prevented.”

Coming to a narrative conclusion, Mrs Hartley said: “Clarice Berry died as a result of chest injuries sustained by the collapse of the gable wall of her house and the upper part of the outer leaf of the end wall of her house.

“Where the wall is affected by structural defects, including wall joint failure for which there is no clear evidence, and no investigation or remedial work has been carried out which, if undertaken, would prevent collapse.”

Ms Hartley stated that she believed it was her duty to prepare a report regarding SandG Properties Ltd and property manager KMPM. Speaking after the inquest, daughter Amanda Berry-Smith said: “On behalf of my family, we would like to thank the Coroner and the team at Bolton Coroner’s Court for their care, sensitivity and professionalism throughout the Inquiry.

“Nothing can bring our mother back or change what happened, but we feel this conclusion is appropriate and reflects the evidence heard. “This has been a devastating loss for our family and we would not want anyone to go through such trauma.

“We welcome the intention to publish a report to prevent future deaths. We hope Regulation 28 of the Coroners (inquests) regulations 2013 supports learning and helps reduce the risk of similar tragedies occurring in the future. Our focus at this time is on remembering Clarice, a much-loved wife and mother, and supporting each other as a family.”