Inquest reveals cause of teenager's Headley Stud death
A jury returned a verdict of accidental death caused by multiple injuries on Wednesday after hearing that 18-year-old Jonathan Kent, who was also a drummer in the West Berkshire band The Difference, died on January 13 after his colleague, Ben Narbutas, aged 27, cut down a tree which then fell on him at the Newbury Road stud, the home of US event rider Julian Stiller.
Mr Narbutas said that he, Mr Kent and their employer Michael Cairns, of Michael Cairns Tree Surgery and Garden Services, Ashampstead, arrived at around 11am at the stud, to begin work felling trees, pruning branches and cutting logs into wood chippings, on tracks and bridlepaths.
Mr Narbutas told the inquest that at 2.45pm he had begun to fell a 25ft-high sweet chestnut before spotting Mr Kent walking into the path of the falling tree.
“Michael called ‘Jonathan!’ and I realised Jonathan had no idea of the direction of the fall and tried to push the falling tree to the left,” said Mr Narbutas.
“In that split second I knew I couldn’t grab him out of the way.”
After being unable to get a response from Mr Kent, who had blood on his face, his colleagues called the air ambulance, which was waved in to land by the main contractor for the work at the stud, Andrew Croysdill, at 3pm.
Paramedics were unable to revive Mr Kent, who was pronounced dead at the scene. The inquest heard that he had not been wearing his safety helmet at the time of the incident.
North East Hampshire coroner, Andrew Bradley, told the jurors that a post mortem had revealed that there was no sign of drugs or alcohol in Mr Kent’s blood or urine, and no sign of natural disease.
He added that Mr Cairns’ employees had the required insurance, qualifications and safety equipment for the work, and said that even a safety helmet would not have withstood the force of the tree.
Mr Cairns said that Mr Kent was employed by him in June 2011 and had proved “a very good man and good at his job”.
Craig Varian, an inspector for the Health and Safety Executive, said that an investigation into the incident and examination of the scene had established nothing out of order and revealed a good working relationship between the tree surgeons.
After the inquest, Mr Varian confirmed that the death was still under investigation by the HSE, with no due date for any decision.
Following the inquest, Mr Kent’s father, Jeremy, said: “I think it was the only possible verdict,” while thanking the coroner’s office, HSE and emergency services who had endeavoured to help his son at the scene.
He added that in a eulogy read out his son’s funeral in January, Mr Cairns had written: “Jonny brightened up every day at work – his hysterical laughter, the things he’d say and do, our karaoke sessions in the truck and his never-ending battle with trying to make a decision.
“He worked hard every day, always did what I asked of him and I can’t remember ever seeing him angry. I will always miss him.“