A retired aerospace engineer who had taken up farming was fatally crushed after operating an 'unsafe homemade lever' that had been historically fitted by a previous owner. A jury inquest at Exeter's County Hall heard how 67-year-old Philip Taylor became a part-time farmer after he and his wife moved to farmland in Ashwater, Beaworthy, in 1994.
In May 2021, he purchased a second-hand tractor which was between 27 to 34 years old to assist with farm duties and also a topper. The father-of-two had finished sharpening cutting blades on his tractor topper in a barn on their farm when he was found passed away by his wife Elizabeth on June 25, 2021, reports Devon Live.
The inquest on June 13 heard the tractor of the engine was still running and multiple emergency services attended, including the fire brigade. The cause of his death was crushed asphyxia.
