‘ BBC failed to recognise stunt’s risk to life’, says coroner

THE risk of fatal injury to a cameraman who died when a stunt on a joint BBC and Netflix drama went wrong was not effectively recognised or managed, a coroner has ruled.

Mark Milsome was killed when a Land Rover crashed into him during the shoot in Achimota Forest outside Accra in Ghana in November 2017.

The 54- year- old, who had been involved in big- screen hits such as the James Bond film Quantum of Solace, was working at the time for production company Forgiving Earth Ltd.

He was filming for the series Black Earth Rising, which starred Michaela Coel and John Goodman.

The night- time stunt sequence was supposed to feature the vehicle going up a ramp and toppling over but an inquest heard that it unexpectedly headed for Mr Milsome, killing him and injuring a colleague.

Mr Milsome’s father Doug, a cinematographer who has worked with director Stanley Kubrick and on Bond films, said at the inquest’s opening earlier this week that standards of professional stunt crew and producers “should never have allowed” his son to die.

Giving his ruling of accidental death, senior coroner Chinyere Inyama said risks had not been managed.

He told the inquest in London: “Mark Milsome died an accidental death. Shortly before the execution of the stunt, the risk of Mr Milsome being harmed or fatally injured was not effectively recognised, assessed, communicated or managed.”

The inquest heard that Mr Milsome suffered multiple injuries.

Addressing the coroner, his widow Andra said tearfully: “Mark’s death certainly should never have happened.”

Originally from Barnes in west London, the cameraman had more recently lived in HayonWye, Wales, with his wife and their daughter.