A tragic incident occurred when a grandmother lost her life under a collapsing wall while she was hanging laundry in her home. The incident took place on July 18, 2021, in Wigan, Greater Manchester. Clarice Berry, aged 77, was buried under rubble after the gable end of her semi-detached house collapsed while she was under the lean-to-carport.
Neighbors and passersby, drawn to the scene by the loud noise, tried to rescue Mrs. Berry from the debris. Despite efforts to free her, she succumbed to her injuries at Wigan Infirmary shortly after being rescued. The coroner, Briona Hartley, termed the incident a “senseless tragedy” at the inquest held at Bolton Coroner’s Court.
The court highlighted the negligence of the property landlord in failing to address the deteriorating brickwork, which had been repeatedly reported by Mrs. Berry’s husband, Arthur. The collapse was attributed to long-standing wall tie failure, with evidence pointing to structural issues that had gone unaddressed despite prior complaints.
The court emphasized that a competent building inspector or landlord could have averted the tragedy with timely intervention. Mrs. Berry’s daughter, Amanda Berry-Smith, expressed gratitude towards the Coroner and the court for their professionalism and sensitivity during the proceedings. The family hopes that lessons learned from this incident will prevent similar tragedies in the future.
