Council’s fatal failings, then gravestone crushed boy of 8 to death
A COUNCIL was yesterday held partly to blame for the death of an eight-year-old boy who was struck by a falling headstone.
Ciaran Williamson suffered terrible injuries and was killed instantly when he was hit by the two-and-a-half ton memorial in a Glasgow cemetery.
A sheriff has now ruled that the ‘absence of an active system of inspection’ of headstones and memorials at Glasgow City Council played a part in the tragedy.
A fatal accident inquiry (FAI) at Glasgow Sheriff Court also found the authority had failed to repair a hole in a wall where Ciaran got into the site with friends.
But his mother Stephanie Griffin, who is still ‘crippled with agony’ over the tragedy, fears recommendations made by a sheriff will be ignored.
The inquiry heard Ciaran and his friends were playing at Craigton Cemetery, Cardonald, where some of them climbed a gravestone known as the Ross memorial.
When the memorial began to wobble, three of Ciaran’s friends tried to steady it but were unable to stop it from falling.
The pediment of the gravestone struck Ciaran just as his friends jumped out of the way, leaving him with fatal injuries. The inquiry ruling said his death in May 2015 was instantaneous.
In her determination yesterday, Sheriff Linda Ruxton said: ‘I have no hesitation in accepting that this was a tragic accident.
‘There was no suggestion there had been a deliberate attempt by any of the boys to push over or destabilise the memorial.’
But she added: ‘The absence of an active system of inspection to ensure the safety and stability of memorials in Glasgow cemeteries and, in particular, in Craigton Cemetery, was a defect in Glasgow City Council’s system of working which contributed to Ciaran’s death and the accident.’
Sheriff Ruxton recommended the Scottish Government issues official guidance on memorial inspections to councils.
Miss Griffin, 27, said: ‘Every day we are crippled with the agony of losing Ciaran but this conclusion has not brought peace, answers or even a sense of justice.
‘This FAI found major gaps in council processes which tell us it has been either defiant or negligent. And while we understand FAIs only give “recommendations”, there’s no rule to say the council are legally bound to act on them – and who checks to see if they do?’
Anna Richardson, Glasgow’s convener for sustainability, said: ‘I accept the sheriff’s findings. We are sorry and our thoughts remain with Ciaran’s family and friends.
‘It is clear the sheriff expects national guidelines and advice to be put in place for all cemeteries and, in particular, for dealing with larger and often older memorials.
‘We will adopt those guidelines once they are available.’
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘We note the recommendations and will consider them carefully. The Burial and Cremation Act enables ministers to make regulations which will ensure the safety of headstones.
‘In addition, ministers will appoint inspectors to oversee the operation of burial authorities, including burial grounds.’