Inquest of Southern England Farms worker Aleksej Kleinov

Aleksej Kleinov, a 34‑year‑old experienced tractor driver, trainer and supervisor with Southern England Farms based at Leedstown, died on April 11, 2024 while helping a colleague attach the machinery.

The inquest jury in Truro heard that Aleksej had arrived for work at a field at Killiserth Farm, near Trispen, at around 6.32am that day.

Aleksej Kleinov was employed by Southern England Farms based in Leedstown (Image: Google Streetview)

That morning he was assisting tractor driver Rugile Kuraite, who had limited experience hitching equipment and no training in connecting the more complex cauliflower picker, a device only used by the company during wet weather.

While helping line up the picker, Aleksej positioned himself between the tractor and the machinery. He asked Rugile to engage the hydraulic lifting mechanism while he was still inside the narrowing space.

Moments later, his head and neck became trapped. He was pinned for several seconds before Rugile disengaged the mechanism. Aleksej managed to pull himself free, staggered a few steps, and collapsed.

Emergency services were called and colleagues attempted to revive him, but his injuries were too severe for survival.

Home Office forensic pathologist Dr Amanda Jeffrey told the inquest that Aleksej had a band of visible external injuries across his head, neck and upper back.

Internally, he had suffered “quite significant” crushing injuries, including a fractured skull and severe spinal trauma, all of which were “unsurvivable”. No drugs or alcohol were detected in his system.

Eyewitness Shak Hoda Bakibayeva said he had been only a few metres away when he saw Aleksej become trapped. He estimated that Aleksej remained caught for around 30 seconds before freeing himself. He rushed to help when Aleksej collapsed.

Rolandas Zabieliauskas, an experienced driver who helped train Rugile, said she initially failed her assessment before passing in February 2024. By the time of the incident, she had been driving for about three weeks.

He said she had not been taught how to connect the cauliflower picker, which required more skill than attaching standard trailers.

He also explained that training within the company did not involve formal paperwork. Instead, instructors put forward a trainee when they felt the individual was ready for assessment.

Rugile’s brother, Ronaldos Bujanos, who had joined the company in 2019, said he had helped teach her the basics of driving and carrying out checks, as well as how to hitch standard trailers — but not the more complicated picker.

Securing the picker was “very difficult”, he said, and should only be carried out by trained hands. He added that he normally attached it by himself to avoid distractions or mistakes while the tractor engine was running for the hydraulics.

Mr Bujanos also said he would never place his head in the position where Aleksej had been. He added that since the incident the mini‑pickers had been taken out of use and new tractor drivers must now complete a formal examination and checklist process.

Rugile told the inquest that she began working for the company in summer 2022, shortly after finishing her A‑levels. She deferred going to university to train as a tractor driver and began training formally in February 2024.

She failed her first attempt at assessment and undertook a further week of training. She said she received no “mini‑rig” training.

She described Aleksej as a very experienced supervisor. On the morning of the incident, she arrived with an empty trailer but was instructed to have the picker attached.

She removed her trailer and discussed the connection process with Aleksej and another worker. Visibility was difficult, she said, and she had to repeatedly get out of the cab to check the alignment.

Shortly afterwards, she noticed that Aleksej had stepped in to assist. While he was inside the gap between the tractor and the picker, he told her to raise the hydraulics. She pushed the lever, causing the picker to lift.

Realising something was wrong, she quickly reversed the control to lower the machinery and release him.

Gordon Stokes, head of farming at Southern England Farms, told the inquest that Aleksej’s actions were not permitted under the firm’s standard operating procedures. No employee should be positioned between a tractor and an attachment while the hydraulics are engaged, he said.

He said the company had 33 standard operating practices for risk assessments and that employees were expected to “live and breathe by it”.

He told the court that procedures had been improved following the incident. Mini‑pickers were no longer used, and an internal investigation had taken place.

The investigation concluded that Aleksej had placed himself in a dangerous position by asking Rugile to activate the hydraulics while he was still in the narrowing gap. Mr Stokes said Aleksej was an experienced trainer and fully aware of the expected operating procedures.

In a statement read by the coroner, Mr Stokes said nothing the company could say would “fill the void” left by Aleksej’s death or lessen its impact on colleagues.

The inquest continues.