‘This almost defines the word accident’
Martin Coxhead (Image: Facebook)
A popular gardener died after cutting through the cord of his hedge trimmers in a garden in Leyland.
Martin Coxhead, 51, was using his ‘well worn’ equipment to trim the bushes at the house in Northbrook Road on July 10 when he cut the cable. The electricity to the property tripped and Martin said he would splice the cable back together – something he had done before.
But Preston Coroners’ Court heard the householder did not realise the hedge cutters were still plugged in and flicked the switch to turn the power back on. Martin was found on the patio, having been electrocuted.
Emergency services were called to the house but Martin, who lived in Penwortham, was pronounced dead. A post mortem examination revealed an electric burn to the palm of his hand and found his cause of death to be electrocution.
Area Coroner Richard Taylor said: “There is nothing to suggest this was anything other than an unfortunate accident. He was doing what he enjoyed doing.
“This was a job he had clearly done before but for whatever reason, the equipment he had wasn’t the safest. I am not going to be judgemental about that – it is what he knew and used.
“At some point that day he cut through the wire and needed to mend it. It appears that was something he had done previously because the wires were joined together.
“It doesn’t appear there was any significant conversation but the electric was tripped. The homeowner simply says they turned it back on. They said they had no belief he wouldn’t have unplugged it.
“The conversation that maybe should have been had, wasn’t had. Whether Martin himself should have simply unplugged it is a different discussion. We simply know he didn’t and sadly that caused his death.
“This almost defines the word ‘accident’.”
Martin’s family said he was popular and liked to keep busy working. He had lots of friends in the local area and ‘lived on the edge’, they said.
The coroner recorded a conclusion of accidental death.
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