Gran crushed to death after house wall collapsed on top of her while she was hanging washing out

Gran crushed to death after house wall collapsed on top of her while she was hanging washing out Grandmother Clarice Berry, 77, was left buried under rubble and was eventually freed by firefighters after neighbours heard the wall collapse, comparing it to a "bomb" A grandmother was crushed to death as she hung out her washing after a ticking "timebomb" wall at her home collapsed on top of her, an inquest has heard. Clarice Berry, 77, was left buried under 10ft of rubble when the crumbling gable end of her semi-detached house came down on July 18, 2021. An inquest heard she was hanging laundry to dry underneath the lean-to-carport at her home in Wigan, Greater Manchester, when the bricks gave way. Shocked neighbours and passers-by, who said it sounded like a "bomb had gone off", rushed to the scene and desperately attempted to save Mrs Berry from beneath the debris. The married grandmother-of-six was eventually freed by firefighters and rushed to Wigan Infirmary where she tragically died from her injuries a short time later. Coroner Briona Hartley described the death as "senseless" and a "tragedy" at an inquest at Bolton Coroner's Court on Monday. She also slammed the failure by the property landlord to repair the brickwork, which her husband Arthur had repeatedly complained about. The coroner also said that any "competent building inspector or landlord" with "common sense" could have prevented the tragedy from happening. The court heard how temperatures had reached 32C on the sunny day, and Mr Berry had popped out to see one of their two daughters, Amanda Berry-Smith. But upon his return home, he found a scene of devastation. The coroner said: "Tragedy is an overused word but that is what Arthur came home to that afternoon." Mr Berry and his neighbours prised the doors of the lean-to open and tried to get to Mrs Berry, removing bricks with their bare hands until the emergency services arrived. The court heard how investigations carried out by Health and Safety Executive inspector George Smart, who gave evidence at the inquest, showed there was an underlying structural problem with the wall. The court heard Mr Berry had repeatedly mentioned the bulging wall to landlord Mr Schlomo Klein. Ms Hartley said: "The senseless tragedy of Clarice's death is that any competent surveyor would have identified it as just that, a timebomb. "I find that any reasonably competent property management company and/or responsible landlord, employing common sense, would, at the very least, have ensured that the wall was monitored for any signs of progression and, by no later than 2018, would have ensured that a structural survey was performed. "Any resistance on the part of the landlord - and I make it clear that I am not finding that there would have been any such resistance - could have been overcome by a report to the local authority’s Housing Standards Team. The structural collapse of the gable and end wall was caused by long standing wall tie failure. "The wall had been visibly bulging for many years and had been reported and recorded as requiring urgent attention." The court heard how, despite the couple's concerns, no structural assessment or remedial works were undertaken. The defect progressively got worse, resulting in the collapse which caused Mrs Berry's death. Ms Hartley said: "Had steps been taken to investigate the known and worsening structural defect, on the balance of probabilities, remedial action would have been taken and the collapse which caused the deceased's death would have been prevented." The hearings was told that there was also a condemned boiler in the house but this was ruled out as having a role in the wall’s collapse during the four-day inquiry. Giving a narrative conclusion, Ms Hartley said: "Clarice Berry died as a result of chest injuries sustained when the gable end wall and the upper part of the outer leaf of the end wall of her home collapsed onto her. "In circumstances where the wall was affected by structural defects including wall tie failure of which there was no clear evidence, and where no investigation or remedial works has been carried out, which, if undertaken would have prevented the collapse." Ms Hartley said she considered it her duty to make a report in relation to S&G Properties Ltd and property manager KMPM. Speaking after the inquest, daughter Amanda Berry-Smith said: "On behalf of my family, we would like to thank the Coroner and the team at Bolton Coroner’s Court for their care, sensitivity, and professionalism throughout the inquest. While nothing can bring our mum back or change what happened, we feel the conclusion is appropriate and reflects the evidence heard. "This has been a devastating loss for our family, and we would not wish such trauma on anyone else. We welcome the intention to issue a report to prevent future deaths Regulation 28 of the coroners (investigations) regulations 2013. "We hope it supports learning and helps reduce the risk of similar tragedies in the future. At this time, our focus is on remembering Clarice - a dearly loved wife and mum - and supporting one another as a family."