Drunk Student who went to Sleep in Wheelie Bin was Crushed to Death in Hydraulic Truck just a Day after he arrived in Britain
- Garrett Elsey drank a dozen drinks with friend after arriving in UK
- On first night out left nightclub and fell asleep in wheelie bin
- Was crushed to death in back of refuse lorry, inquest hears
- 22-year-old is thought to have slept in bin to escape cold
- May have suffered hypothermia, which can confuse sufferers
- Coroner recorded a conclusion of accidental death
By Daily Mail UK, 8 November 2013
Garrett was most likely alive when he was loaded into the back of the bin lorry, the inquest heard
A student who got drunk on his first night in the UK was crushed to death in the back of a refuse lorry after falling asleep in a giant wheelie bin, an inquest heard today.
Garrett Elsey, 22, drank a dozen drinks with a British medical student friend he met on a rugby tour just hours after enrolling at the University of Bristol.
But the following day bin men discovered the body of the masters student when they emptied their lorry at a plant in the outskirts of the city.
It is thought the student - who was only wearing shorts and a jumper - may have climbed into the large bin outside flats in Clifton to escape the cold.
A post-mortem investigation found he may have been suffering hypothermia - made worse by the alcohol he consumed that night.
The court heard statements from neighbours who said they heard muffled shouts in the early hours of September 27.
But they were accustomed to being woken by rowdy students, so did not investigate.
Forensic pathologist Dr Amanda Jeffery told the inquest at Flax Bourton that Garrett was most likely alive when he was loaded into the back of the bin lorry.
She said: 'Had Garrett been picked up as part of the first half of the collection, as we suspect he was, he would have been subjected to several of the compressions.
'I understand that some shouting and calling may have been heard in the area. That would support that he was alive or at least semi-conscious when the bin was collected.'
A bin lorry from New Earth Solutions, Avonmouth, similar to the one in which Garrett Elsey was collected after he climbed into a refuse bin
Garrett, from Sherwood Park, near Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, enrolled to study a masters in International Security in Bristol.
He dropped off his bags at student accommodation, before meeting up with friend Gareth Lewis-Jones for drinks and pizza.
Mr Lewis Jones said: 'We first went to a restaurant called Pizza Planet where we had a pizza each and then went on to the Hill Pub where he had some beers and one Jager Bomb - which is a mixture of Jagermeister and Red Bull - while watching the football.
'This happened over the course of a couple of hours.
The two friends then set off on foot into Bristol down the Whiteladies Road.
'We were walking and talking normally. Neither Garrett nor myself were particularly inebriated.'
As they walked along, Mr Lewis-Jones said he pointed out a number of landmarks along the way and told him the direction of Mr Elsey's flat in case they became separated.
'I was not intending to leave him, but thought I had better tell him where things were in case anything happened during the course of the evening,' he said.
New Earth Solutions, Avonmouth, where the body of Garrett Elsey was found. He may have been suffering hypothermia
The duo, who met on a rugby tour in Canada in 2008, drank around five beers and a Jagerbomb in pubs in Clifton, before heading to nightclub Mbargo.
There they danced and had six more drinks before the pair were split up when Garrett was asked to leave the club by bouncers, while Gareth was in the bathroom.
Garrett, who did not usually drink large amounts, stumbled into a car park outside nearby flats and is believed to have climbed into the large bin
Medical student Gareth searched for his friend but left the club unable to contact Garrett who did not yet have a UK mobile phone.
Bouncer Eddie Essa said he asked the Canadian to leave when he saw 'his feet weren’t holding him properly' and pointed him towards waiting taxis at around 1am.
But Garrett, who did not usually drink large amounts, stumbled into a car park outside nearby flats.
In a statement read out to the inquest, neighbour Joshua Bullard said he heard shouting at around 5:30am.
He said: 'I always slept with the window open and the curtains drawn.
'It sounds like a lot of shouting which I could hear for about 20 to 30 seconds but I couldn’t hear anything that was being said.
'It sounded like a box being dropped and it sounded quite echo-ey. It didn’t worry me enough to get out of bed.'
Refuse collectors contracted by Bristol City Council, said they did not notice anything unusual when they collected the bins at around 7.15am.
Driver Kenneth Parsons reversed the truck down the road while workmate David John Knap guided him.
Colleague Paul Fripp then walked into an unlocked bin store where three containers were kept and placed them into position.
The inquest heard that once the button for the lift had been pressed, a metal shutter opened and the compacting process on the truck (not pictured) began automatically
The bins - which can weigh nearly 40 stone (250kg) - were then grabbed by a mechanical lift at the rear of the truck, hoisted into the air and subsequently emptied.
The inquest heard that once the button for the lift had been pressed, a metal shutter opened and the compacting process began automatically.
All three binmen said they had not heard or seen anything unusual.
The trio added that they had seen no evidence that anyone was at the bins beforehand, nor could they see into the container once it was being emptied because of the height from which it was tipped.
The group then continued on their rounds as normal before heading to the New Earth Refuse Solutions dump near Avonmouth.
It was when the truck was being emptied into a pit that Mr Elsey's body was found.
He was wearing the clothes he had gone out in that night - a shirt, a hoodie, a pair of shorts and socks - and his pockets contained his a passport and wallet - which had no money missing from it.
It was only when they were emptied at the processing plant in Avonmouth, workers discovered Garrett's body and police were called
His trainers and glasses were later found by police back in Berkeley Square.
Mr Knapp added that never in his 25-year career as a binman had he ever seen or heard of a case of someone being crushed to death when the bin they were sleeping in was emptied into the back of a truck.
Pathologist Dr Amanda Jeffery, who was called to the scene, said his clothing was filthy, but he had very few cuts a bruises.
She said he had 'pin point' haemorrhages in his eye lids and lips, and his head and neck were 'compressed'.
Dr Jeffery added: 'The injuries appear to have been caused in life.'
Pathologist Dr Amanda Jeffrey said a post-mortem examination found high levels of alcohol in the deceased’s bloodstream and that he also showed early signs of hypothermia.
'The levels were 144 microgrammes per 100 millilitres of blood,' she said.
'As a reference point, the legal driving limit is 80.
Tragedy: It was when the truck was being emptied into a pit that Mr Elsey's body was found with his passport and wallet
'A person who had drunk this amount of alcohol would be showing obvious signs of drunkenness - staggering and some slurring of their words.
'It’s possible that the combination of alcohol and his body warmth led to an increased risk of hypothermia.
'People suffering with hypothermia can often become very confused and make strange decisions... they may seek refuge in confined spaces.'
She said she thought the cause of death was traumatic asphyxia, caused by being crushed in the lorry.
Assistant deputy coroner Terence Moore heard the bin which Garrett ended up in was 120cm tall and 60cm wide.
DC Alan Smith, the investigating officer from Avon and Somerset Police, told the inquest he conducted tests which found it was very easy to climb in and out of the huge bins.
He also concluded that there was no evidence to suggest Garrett had been placed in the bin by another person.
After deciding there was no third party involvement, police decided not to pursue a criminal investigation - and passed matters over to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
When found Mr Elsey had 'pin point' haemorrhages in his eye lids and lips, and his head and neck were 'compressed'
HOW HYPOTHERMIA CAN BE FATAL
Hypothermia happens when the body temperature drops below 35°C (95°F). A Normal body temperature is around 37°C (98.6°F).
Hypothermia can quickly become life threatening and should be treated as a medical emergency.
Severe hypothermia – when the body temperature falls below 30°C (86°F) is often, but not always, fatal.
Moderate symptoms of hypothermia can include being unable to think or pay attention, confusion, loss of judgement and reasoning (someone with hypothermia may decide to remove clothing despite being very cold), difficulty moving around, loss of co-ordination, drowsiness, slurred speech and hypoventilation.
Simple measures can help to treat the condition, such as moving the patient somewhere warm immediately, then carefully removing any wet clothing and gently drying them, before wrapping them in blankets, towels or coats.
Anyone suffering from the signs of hypothermia needs medical attention as soon as possible.
An officer from the Health and Safety Executive said the bins weighed up to 150kg when empty.
Dr Susan Chivers added the road outside the flats was sloped towards the bin lorry, so the refuse collectors might not notice if a bin was heavier than usual.
Dr Chivers said it had not found any health and safety breaches by the binmen that day or the firm they were working for.
She acknowledged that HSE guidance on checking bins was issued on its website in 2010. She also confirmed there had been three similar deaths in the past.
However the inquest heard that the HSE's guidelines on checking bins were not a legal requirement - and usually only implemented in areas where rough sleeping was prevalent.
She also noted that it was unheard of for rough sleepers to bed down in general waste containers, with them preferring 'softer' recycling bins.
Mr Elsey had been in a general waste bin, the court heard.
Assistant deputy coroner Terence Moore recorded a conclusion of accidental death.
He said: 'This extremely tragic story is a very short one because Garrett only comes to the UK on September 26 and sadly he dies within the next 24 hours.
'They go out and alcohol is consumed - not an unusual set of circumstances for a couple of young men who have not met each other for a while. I think it is fair to say that Garrett's senses and coordination were affected by drink.
'On top of that he was likely to have been jet lagged and very tired. It seems the most likely scenario is Garrett found himself lost, cold and disorientated, possibly starting to suffer from hypothermia.
'He sought warmth by entering the bin store and climbed in a refuse bin.
'He has fallen asleep and about approximately 7.20am, the refuse company, which collects on a Thursday, has picked up the bin with Garrett in it and he has suffered very quickly from the traumatic asphyxiation.'
The coroner confirmed he was going to write a 'prevention of further death report', which he would hand to the HSE to distribute within the waste removal industry.
He added: 'What I want to do if at all possible is not only ensure this never again happens in Bristol, but anywhere else.'
The inquest heard bin collectors Kier MG, formerly known as May Gurney, now routinely lift the lid of every bin before it is loaded into the truck.
After the inquest, a spokeswoman said: 'Our thoughts and sympathies are with Garrett's family and friends in such tragic circumstances surrounding his death.
'The tragedy has deeply affected the collection crew and management here, and we are firm in our aim that it should never happen again.'
Drunk Sleeping Student Crushed to Death in Bin
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