Heartbroken family of Scottish schoolboy killed by telegraph pole speak out

THE family of a schoolboy killed by a falling telegraph pole said they hope other tragedies can be avoided after the company involved in the death was fined £160,000.

Keiran Esquierdo, 12, was playing with friends when he was struck by the log after it rolled down an embankment and pinned him against a fence.

The schoolboy from Sanquhar, Dumfries & Galloway died from asphyxiation after being unable to breathe under the 275kg pole.

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SPIE Limited - the firm that delivered the poles – admitted breaching health and safety laws at Dumfries Sheriff Court today.

Keiran Esquierdo, 12, was playing with friends when he was struck by the log after it rolled down an embankment and pinned him against a fence.Keiran Esquierdo, 12, was playing with friends when he was struck by the log after it rolled down an embankment and pinned him against a fence.
Keiran Esquierdo, 12, was playing with friends when he was struck by the log after it rolled down an embankment and pinned him against a fence.
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A family statement released through Digby Brown Solicitors said: “Every day we feel Keiran’s absence and our lives will never be the same.

“He was a beautiful, fun and popular boy and we will continue to remember him, his laugh and the good times.

“For the last two years we’ve waited for answers and justice as we couldn’t heal and start to think of the future without a conclusion to the past.

The schoolboy from Sanquhar, Dumfries & Galloway died from asphyxiation after being unable to breathe under the 275kg pole.The schoolboy from Sanquhar, Dumfries & Galloway died from asphyxiation after being unable to breathe under the 275kg pole.
The schoolboy from Sanquhar, Dumfries & Galloway died from asphyxiation after being unable to breathe under the 275kg pole.

“Now that it’s resolved we hope companies learn from our loss so other families – and also their employees – are spared the pain of having to cope with a death like this.

“We’d finally like to thank our friends, family and our community who have been there for us through thick and thin for the last two years – your support means more than we could describe.”

The tragedy happened on 15 October 2017 near the Mill Hill Medical Centre in Kelloholm, Dumfries & Galloway.

Keiran was standing on one of two 10-metre telegraph poles when it became dislodged and rolled down a grass embankment.

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The youngster also fell down the embankment and was fatally pinned between the pole and a concrete fence post at the bottom of the slope.

Keiran’s friends ran to get help but when medics arrived the youngster was unresponsive and had no pulse.

Fire crews attended and used specialist lifting gear to move the telegraph pole but Keiran could sadly not be saved - he was pronounced dead at the scene with a post mortem later confirming asphyxia as the cause of death.

Trees were planted in the grounds of Kelloholm Primary and Sanquhar Academy where Keiran attended school - a poignant shield was also created in his memory.

Keiran was also a member of his local army cadets and he was further honoured when his comrades hosted a Guard of Honour at his funeral.

CCTV footage obtained during a Police Scotland and HSE investigation later found a driver working for SPIE Limited delivered the two telegraph poles earlier that same day.

Unfortunately the poles should never even have been in this location but they were left when the SPIE driver was not given a map of the designated drop point.

Today at Dumfries Sheriff Court SPIE Ltd admitted breaching Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 after officials concluded the company failed to deliver the poles to the correct location, failed to secure them to prevent them from rolling and failed to give the delivery driver the right training on how to securely deliver the poles.

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The court also heard it was the first time the firm had received a conviction with Crown agents noting SPIE were fully cooperative with all aspects of the investigation.

Sheriff Mohan handed down a £160,000 fine reduced from £240,000 due to early plea.

Damian White, Partner at Digby Brown’s Ayr office, said: “What makes Keiran’s passing all the more tragic is just how avoidable it was and I commend his family for the strength, unity and composure they’ve shown through the criminal process.

"Safe practices in any workplace setting are not designed to impede duties - they are designed to minimise risk, avoid accidents, in particular fatal accidents, and the needless loss of life.

“I know it’s of little comfort to Keiran’s loved ones but at the very least I hope today’s outcome leads to improved workplace and public safety so repeat incidents do not occur.”

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