A HEADSTONE which crushed a schoolboy to death could have eventually been toppled by a "strong gust of wind", according to an expert.
Stone mason Peter Hayman, of the National Association of Memorial Masons, told a Fatal Accident Inquiry if he had inspected the 7ft stone before Ciaran Williamson's death he would have "fenced it off immediately".
Mr Hayman was giving evidence at a Fatal Accident Inquiry looking in to the circumstances surrounding the tragedy on May 26, 2015 and whether anything could have been done to prevent it.
Ciaran, 8, tragically died when the stone fell on him while he was playing with friends in Craigton Cemetery almost two years ago.
The inquiry heard that "due to the ever increasing angle of lean, the Ross Memorial, if left as it was without some remedial action, would have failed" and that "very little force" would have been needed to topple it.
When asked what kind of force may have caused the stone's failure, Mr Hayman replied: "Even a strong gust of wind, ground heave, frost and thaw action.
"The memorial was, before failure, one which required very little force to tip the balance."
Dorothy Bain QC, representing Ciaran's mum Stephanie Griffin asked the witness: "If you had been asked to inspect the Ross Memorial before pairs would you have passed it safe?"
He replied: "No, I would have immediately fenced it off."
The inquiry also heard that Glasgow City Council were warned of concerns about cemetery safety by Mr Hayman when he visited the site two months after the tragedy.
In a report he said there were "serious hazards" at Craigton, despite work by the local authority to lay down every headstone for safety.
Mr Hayman told the council it was "apparent that there is very serious hazard potential with memorials" and said he was "very concerned with the state of memorials and would suggest a suitable inspection and maintenance programme."
When asked why he was concerned about the cemetery, he said: "It is totally unacceptable to push memorials over en masse"
He added that the action could "cause distress to families", damage to stones with heritage value, and some stones were still a trip hazard despite being laid flat.
The inquiry before Sheriff Ruxton continues
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