Gardener died after falling onto bamboo cane while trimming hedges at Scottish castle

A gardener died after a bamboo cane pierced his groin while he was trimming hedges at a castle in Scotland, a Fatal Accident Inquiry has found.

Norman Mackenzie died at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary on September 21, 2024, four days after the accident at Darnaway Castle on the Moray Estate.

Elgin Sheriff Court heard that Mr Mackenzie fell backwards onto the cane into a sunken flower bed while descending a step ladder after trimming hedges.

The cane pierced the 68-year-old’s groin and left a fragment of his jeans embedded deep inside the wound.

He died in hospital of multi-organ failure, septic shock and necrotising fasciitis.

Sheriff David Harvie found that the accident could realistically have been avoided if a safer working platform had been used instead of a step ladder positioned beside the edge of the flower bed.

The court heard how Mr Mackenzie “misjudged the bottom step” before removing the cane, sitting down for five minutes and stating that he felt sick. He returned to work the same afternoon.

On September 19, he attended Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin, and scans showed the injury had extended from the scrotum towards the abdomen.

His condition deteriorated after blood tests showed severe infection, and emergency surgery was carried out at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.

The inquiry heard evidence that earlier surgery might, with hindsight, have been beneficial, given the significance of the contamination due to the presence of the fragment of jeans in the wound.

Sheriff Harvie concluded there was insufficient evidence to find that the clinical decisions made by NHS Grampian caused or contributed to Mr Mackenzie’s death.

Moray Estates removed bamboo canes from its sunken gardens and flower beds following the accident, and conducted a review of its risk assessments with external health and safety advisers.

Sheriff Harvie said: “There is no doubt that, given his medical condition, Mr Mackenzie should not have been using a long reach hedge cutter that tragic day. Nor should he have been using the step ladder.

“The step ladder was the wrong piece of equipment for the job, partly because of the terrain, but also because the hedge cutter required the use of two hands. The step ladder was not placed on even, stable ground.

“The job could and should have been conducted using the henchman, placed on more stable ground, at a different angle to the hedges, away from the sunken garden. Such a precaution could reasonably have been taken and might realistically have resulted in the accident being avoided.”

Sheriff Harvie offered his condolences to Mr Mackenzie’s loved ones.