Court told how bollard fatally injured boy, 3

A court has heard of the moment a three-year-old boy was fatally injured by a concrete bollard.

Ben Craggs. Picture: Submitted

A car park security officer at the Royal Highland Show at Ingliston in June 2008 told Edinburgh Sheriff Court today how, out the corner of his eye, he saw a young child slip, grab hold of a rope and be struck on the head.

The court had heard that the concrete bollards at the car park were about four feet high and were joined together with rope. A previous witness, 66-year old Alexander King, who was working at the Showground with Hertz Rent a Car said smaller bollards were fixed in the ground, but the larger ones were not. They were joined by a blue rope like a clothes line and were on gravel and not on the tarmac road surface.

At the trial of The Royal Highland and Agricultural Society face eight charges under the Health and Safety at Work Act, including failing to ensure the health and safety of three-year old Ben Craggs.

Ben had been at the Show with his father, Jonathan, and mother, Dawn, from Sedgefield, County Durham, who were showing cattle from their farm.

Security officer James Garry told the court Mr Greggs had parked his lorry after dropping off the cattle. Mr Garry, who worked part-time at the Show, said that on the afternoon of June 19th: “out the corner of my eye I saw this young child in the car park. I just saw this wee boy walking out from the side of the truck. He went under the rope, turned back, slipped, and grabbed the rope. The bollard landed on his head. I went to try and get it off. He was lying on his back, facing towards the truck”.

Mr Garry said within seconds he was joined by Ben’s father and they managed to lift the bollard.

Ben died from his injuries in the Royal Hospital for Sick Children just six days from his fourth birthday.

The trial before Sheriff Paul Arthurson QC continues.