Inquest rules boy's goalposts death an accident
A 12-year-old Mid Wales boy died as a result of an accident after 'inadequate and unsuitable' 20-year-old goalposts fell on him, an inquest has ruled.
Casey Breese, from Caersws, near Newtown, was crushed to death when the heavy goalpost toppled on him at the village recreation ground where he was playing football with friends.
The jury at the inquest being held in Welshpool yesterday returned a verdict of accidental death due to the 'inadequate and unsuitable equipment used at the time of Casey's accident'.
Nobody has claimed ownership of the goalposts, but Mrs Louise Hunt, Powys coroner, said she hoped lessons had been learnt.
She added she hoped Caersws Football Club, which occasionally used the goalposts for training, would carry out risk assessments on any equipment in future after hearing no safety tests had been done on the posts involved in the accident.
Alistair Bower, the club's solicitor, said he would be in contact with club management to pass on the verdict and comments.
The youngster was rushed to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital but died from his injuries following the accident on July 29 last year.
The inquest, which lasted two days, heard that Casey had been playing football with friends when his foot got caught in the net. As he pulled his foot free, the steel goalpost fell, trapping him until his friends lifted it off.
The cause of death was listed as hepatic (liver) trauma and crush injury.
Following the inquest, Casey's family released a statement which said: "We have learnt the full details and hope that as a result, lessons have been learnt to prevent anything similar from happening again."
