Pupils raised alarm over ‘wobbly wall’
KEANE FATAL ACCIDENT INQUIRY
A PUPIL told a teacher of her fears over a school wall the day before it collapsed and killed a 12-year-old girl, a court heard yesterday.
A fatal accident inquiry into the death of Keane WallisBennett was told several youngsters said they alerted teachers at Liberton High School, Edinburgh, about the “wobbly” changing-room wall.
But the court heard staff denied to police that pupils had flagged up concerns.
Keane died on April 1, 2014, after the free-standing modesty wall toppled and crushed her.
Her parents Abbie and Clark were at yesterday’s hearing, where a graphic film of a pool of blood next to the collapsed wall was shown. Witness statements described bubbly S1 student Keane being buried under rubble with just her legs jutting out.
Fiscal depute Gary Aitken said one pupil claimed she had told PE teacher Nicole Christie about how another pupil kept “pushing the wall” the day before Keane died.
She alleged the teacher told her it would be “‘all fine’ or something like that”.
The pupil later told police the wall was “wobbly” – but the inquiry heard she didn’t mention that to Ms Christie.
Another pupil said she told head of PE Ian Hutchison months before that the wall was moving and he replied: “If it moves again, let me know.”
Other pupils said they had approached teachers about their concerns, or had heard that fellow youngsters did.
One girl told police that after the collapse, a PE teacher ran in and told Keane: “You’re going to be OK. They will get you out.”
Another girl said: “The wall just fell on her. I could only see her ankles and a bit of her body.”
Detective Chief Inspector Keith Hardie told the inquiry reports of the wall moving were allegedly made by pupils to several teachers but staff denied they had received warnings.
The inquiry in Edinburgh before Sheriff Principal Mhairi Stephen continues.