Man died after bin he was in tipped into waste lorry

The lorry dropped its contents onto the Thorncliffe yard in Alltami

A man died from severe neck and head injuries after the recycling bin he climbed into was tipped into a waste lorry, an inquest has heard.

Vitalij Maceljuch, 36, was found dead at a recycling depot in Alltami near Mold, Flintshire, in May 2024, Ruthin Coroner's Court was told.

He was seen on CCTV looking into a recycling bin for cardboard behind a kitchen store in Chester in the early hours of 10 May 2024 and likely climbed inside.

This was later collected by a Biffa lorry driven by Richard Connolly and David Lewis, assistant coroner for North Wales East and Central, concluded that his injuries were likely caused by being crushed by the lorry. He gave a conclusion of death by misadventure.

The inquest heard Mr Connolly told the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) he looked into the bin, called out in case anyone was inside and shook the bin on his lorry's forks before tipping it but did not see anyone.

He did not notice Mr Maceljuch falling into the lorry but later checks on the vehicle's CCTV showed the body falling into the hopper, where waste is deposited.

The lorry later dropped its contents, including Mr Maceljuch, on to the Thorncliffe yard in Alltami and it was pushed into a large pile by a truck and then scooped up by a claw machine and dropped on to a conveyor belt.

Staff who saw Mr Maceljuch's body on the conveyor belt at first thought it was a mannequin, but called North Wales Police after realising it was a body.

The HSE was also informed and carried out its own investigation.

It looked at various CCTV footage and was able to discover where Mr Maceljuch had climbed into the bin.

There had been warning signs outside the Wren Kitchen showroom in Chester warning people not to enter the bins due to danger of death.

It was concluded nobody involved at either site nor the lorry driver had breached any health and safety legislation.

The post-mortem examination concluded that Mr Maceljuch, a Czech national born in Ukraine in 1987, had cannabis and amphetamines in his blood at the time of his death.

Mr Lewis heard the substances may have contributed to a "lack of awareness of his surroundings".

Mr Maceljuch died from severe head and neck injuries which were likely the result of being crushed by the bin lorry.

The coroner concluded he died as a result of misadventure.

"Misadventure is defined as when actions which were intentional had unintended consequences, such as Mr Maceljuch placing himself into the bin without intending to end his life or the actions of the lorry driver who picked up the bin without appreciating that anyone was inside," he said.

Mr Lewis offered his condolences to Mr Maceljuch's family.