A fatal accident inquiry has revealed that a 68-year-old gardener died after falling onto a bamboo cane while trimming hedges at a Scottish castle. Norman Mackenzie, a father of two with 40 years of experience, sustained the injury at Darnaway Castle near Forres on September 17, 2024.
Accident Details
Mr. Mackenzie was trimming hedges using a step ladder positioned beside the edge of a sunken flower bed. As he climbed down, he misjudged the bottom step and stumbled backwards into the flower bed, where a bamboo cane pierced his groin. He pulled the cane free and continued working for the rest of the day, believing the injury was not serious.
However, a fragment of his jeans was driven deep into the wound, leading to a rapidly spreading infection. Four days later, on September 21, he died at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary from multi-organ failure, septic shock, and necrotising fasciitis, a flesh-eating bacterial infection.
Inquiry Findings
Elgin Sheriff Court heard that Mr. Mackenzie attended Dr. Gray's Hospital in Elgin two days after the accident due to increasing pain and swelling. Scans showed the injury extended from the scrotum toward the abdomen but did not reveal the denim fragment. His condition deteriorated sharply the following day, and emergency surgery at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary discovered widespread necrotising fasciitis and the torn denim. Surgeons removed large areas of dead tissue from his lower abdomen, groin, and scrotum.
Sheriff David Harvie concluded that the accident could realistically have been avoided if a safer working platform had been used instead of the step ladder. He found no clear responsibility for supervising Mr. Mackenzie, who was effectively left to assess risks himself despite restrictions on his work. The sheriff stated there was insufficient evidence to find that clinical decisions by NHS Grampian caused or contributed to his death, though earlier surgery might have been beneficial if contamination had been known.
Aftermath and Changes
Following the accident, Moray Estates removed bamboo canes from its sunken gardens and flower beds, tightened accident reporting procedures, strengthened supervision arrangements, and reviewed risk assessments with external health and safety advisers. Sheriff Harvie made no formal recommendations, noting significant changes already implemented by Moray Estates and NHS Grampian. He offered condolences to Mr. Mackenzie’s family and friends.
