Boy, 4, killed in freak accident while trying to stop vintage garden roller

Maldwyn ‘Gwern’ Evans was described as a ‘keen little farmer’ by his heartbroken family following his death (Picture: Dyfed-Powys Police)

A four-year-old boy found dead in his garden suffered catastrophic head injuries after being catapulted onto a concrete patio by an antique garden roller, an inquest has heard.

Maldwyn ‘Gwern’ Evans was described as a ‘keen little farmer’ by his heartbroken family following his death at home in the quiet Welsh village of Tynreithin on June 20.

Following an inquest in Aberystwyth, Coroner Peter Brunton concluded the youngster died in an accident in which ‘there was no human control’.

He told Gwern’s relatives: ‘The loss of a child is the most devastating thing that can happen to a parent.

‘It is every parent’s nightmare to outlive your children. I can only offer you my most profound condolences and sympathies.’

Emergency services were called to the farm near Tregaron at 4.30pm.

They arrived by air ambulance at 4.47pm and found Gwern lying on the patio where they diagnosed a traumatic cardiac arrest from catastrophic traumatic brain injury.

In a statement, Gwern’s mum Sian Eleri Evans described how he and his sister) had arrived home from school at 3.55pm.

It went on: ‘As I was in the kitchen I heard a thud and instantly thought it’d been the roller and ran out… I had never seen Gwern play with the roller before but he was quite inquisitive.

‘I can imagine he thought he was rolling a field. He was strong and determined and if he wanted to do something I could imagine he would have got it moving.

‘He hadn’t seen us using it before but seen other machinery used on the farm.’

The Victorian cast-iron handmade garden roller estimated to be between 50 and 60kg had been a garden ornament for two years before the incident occurred.

Though medics tried resuscitation at the scene, Gwern was unresponsive.

The coroner concluded the most likely scenario was that Gwern pushed the roller from behind and was carried forward as the roller began down the garden slope.

He concluded that Gwern was then flipped over by the roller on its landing on the patio, causing him to strike his head on the concrete.

Mrs Evans told the inquest: ‘The loss is unimaginable, not only for myself, his father and sister but to my wider family and friends.

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‘This is shown in the fundraising done in his name to go to the Welsh Air Ambulance and his school to create a school farm.’

The coroner concluded: ‘On the balance of probabilities Gwern had indeed been able to push the roller from behind using the handle like anyone else would.

‘The supposition must be that Gwern held onto it, possibly realising what was going on… Had he let go we may not be here this afternoon.

‘His pluckiness therefore may have played a hand in this.’

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