- David Ian Roberts tried erect a flagpole at his home in Anglesey on June 29, 2023
- A coroner has ruled he died by electrocution after the pole hit overhead cable
By Oliver Price
Published: | Updated:
A grandfather died after being electrocuted while erecting a 20ft metal flagpole in his back garden after it connected with an 11,000-volt overhead power cable – in an accident described by a coroner as ‘entirely tragic’.
David Ian Roberts, 69, may have decided to put up the flagpole – which he had bought 18 months earlier – to ‘surprise’ his wife Julie on June 29 last year, an inquest heard.
But the 20ft 8ins (6.3 metre) pole made contact with power cables running over the garden – which had been there since before Mr and Mrs Roberts bought their home, the coroner was told.
Mr Roberts, a self-employed garage door installer, of Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll, Anglesey, was found dead by his wife when she returned home.
The tragedy happened only a week after the holiday-loving couple had returned from a trip around the US where they visited cities including Las Vegas and New York. They also had a motor home for road trips.
Grandfather David Ian Roberts (pictured), 69, died after being electrocuted while erecting a 20ft metal flagpole in his back garden in an accident described by a coroner as ‘entirely tragic’
Mr Roberts, left, is pictured here with his wife Julie Roberts, who works as a barber
Mrs Roberts, a barber, described how her husband took great pride in their ‘pristine’ garden.
She said the flagpole had been bought 18 months earlier and she believed he wanted to surprise her by putting it up.
The father-of-three, known by his middle name, is understood to have been hoping to fly both the Union Jack and the red dragon of Wales.
Mrs Roberts told how she found her husband after arriving home about 7.20pm and him not giving her a customary greeting at the door.
Hunting around the property, she recalled: ‘I noticed Ian face down into our grass.’
The Caernarfon inquest heard he may have died three hours earlier.
Mobile phone evidence showed he’d last made a call a few hours earlier and had received missed calls from 4.30pm.
From a mobile phone app his family discovered his last step was at 4.17pm.
Andrew Churchman, district general manager for SP Energy Networks, said their garden was crossed by an 11,000-volt overhead line which supplied the town.
Cables had to be more than 17ft above the ground and in the Roberts’ garden, this was the case. At the lowest point, the cable was 5.6 metres high (18ft 4ins), the court was told.
The power lines had been there when the house was bought.
Pathologist Dr Mark Atkinson said Mr Roberts’ cause of death was electrocution ‘without a shadow of a doubt’.
Mr Roberts (left) may have decided to put up the flagpole – which he had bought 18 months earlier – to ‘surprise’ his wife Julie (right) on June 29 last year, an inquest heard
Pathologist Dr Mark Atkinson said Mr Roberts’ cause of death was electrocution ‘without a shadow of a doubt’
Coroner Kate Robertson recorded a conclusion of accidental death from the flagpole touching the live power line.
Mr Roberts was found face-down in the garden with burn marks on his hands.
Ms Robertson said it was ‘entirely tragic’ and highlighted the dangers of overhead cables.
Giving her condolences to Mr Roberts’ widow and family, she said: ‘I am sure you miss him terribly and will continue to miss him terribly.’
Speaking at the time of the tragedy, heartbroken Mrs Roberts said: ‘It’s with great sadness and a heavy heart that I have to tell all of our friends that yesterday my amazing husband passed away.
‘Ian was loved and respected by so many people we are deeply shocked by his sudden passing.’
The fun-loving couple, who had a dog called Roxy, were well known locally for putting on large Halloween parties and turning their home into a house of horrors.