AN inquest was held into the death of a Tewkesbury landscape gardener who was crushed to death by a 40ft willow tree.

Neal Tyler, 41, who lived on a boat in Tewkesbury Marina, was not wearing a helmet at the time and used the wrong technique to fell the tree, the court was told last Wednesday.

The accident took place on December 20 and Mr Tyler died hours later despite the efforts of paramedics.

Robert Sutton, a handyman, was clearing trees at a field in Stanton with Neal, who was known as `Yorkie'.

Mr Sutton told the Gloucester inquest that it was his job to clear up rubbish.

"I started work at 8.30am and Yorkie arrived later on at about 9am," he said. "He was using petrol chainsaws. He had all the gear but didn't put his helmet on. I said `Yorkie, don't forget to put it on'. But he said he wasn't going to put it on because he wanted to hear the crack so he could get out of the way.

"He positioned himself and started the chainsaw up. He cut a little beak in the front, then he went around the back to cut the tree down from the other side.

"He started to cut. He got about four inches in when I heard an almighty crack. I shouted `Yorkie, it's going'."

Mr Sutton added within a `split-second' it `see-sawed' up and `then came back down again. It landed on his legs'.

"I hadn't expected the tree to behave like that," he added. "

"He had done exactly the same with lots of other trees. I ran over to him and could see he was lying face down with his leg trapped underneath. I couldn't understand what he was saying."

Mr Sutton asked two passing horseriders for help and paramedics were called to the scene.

They fought to save him but he was pronounced dead at 10am.

Pathologist Dr Keith MCarthy said Mr Tyler died of multiple injuries including a skull fracture, multiple fractures to the ribs and a broken spine and pelvis.

Gloucester coroner Alan Crickmore recorded a verdict of accidental death.

11:50am Thursday 12th October 2006

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