Workman's death when struck by falling tree near Pontefract was accident, inquest jury rules.

Kieran Parkinson, 26, died of multiple injuries when the 12 metre high horse chestnunt tree trunk cracked and unexpectedly fell the "wrong way from what had been expected" and struck him, the inquest jury at Wakefield Coroner;s Court was told.

The 26-year-old, of Henson Grove, Castleford, suffered severe injuries to his head, chest and abdomen and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Tree surgeon died near Pontefract after tree trunk fell 'wrong way' inquest jury told.

The inquest jury heard Mr Parkinson, an experienced self-employed tree surgeon, had cut all the branches and sections of the rotten trunk, which had stood 30m tall.

When he cut a wedge in the remaining 12 metres of the trunk to bring it down, witnesses reported a "loud crack" and the tree fell in the opposite direction than he intended it to.

The court heard he had tried to run away, but a pile of branches in the garden of the detached house he was working at blocked his path.

Returning a conclusion of accidental death, the jury stated: "The deceased, Kieran Anthony Parkinson died on February 6 2019 at Estcourt Drive from multiple injuries, as a result of felling a tree, and it falling in a way that was not intended or expected, and with no clear escape route."

Chipping machine operator Daryl Stevens said Kieran mainly worked in the London area but had been visiting his grandmother in Castleford.

In his statement he said: “Kieran cut a wedge out of the tree in the direction he wanted it to fall.

"I heard a cracking noise and noticed the tree was starting to fall in a different direction.

“Kieran was running away from the tree in a straight line in the direction the tree was falling and the tree fell on him.

“The tree fell the wrong way from what had been expected."

The inquest jury was told a toxicology report stated that Mr Parkinson had cannabis and cocaine in his system.