Adolescent Discovered Deceased Following Untrue Allegations of Stealing Ashes
One 14-year-old youth was discovered deceased only a few days following being wrongly accused of stealing the ashes of a dead infant during a burglary, an inquest has learned.
Heartbreaking Finding
The young boy's parents found his body in his room at his Connah's Quay residence on 19 November 2021.
False Allegations Begin
The inquest heard how his mother received a communication on 8 November 2021 via social media, from a individual asking if Kai was her child. The message stated: "Inform him thanks for breaking into my flat."
In a testimony presented to the proceedings, Lisa Lloyd said the woman had been in the media, asserting her infant's remains had been stolen in a break-in - a claim which was false.
Law Enforcement Investigation
An official inquiry from police later determined the alleged burglary victim had "provided false information" and "it now appears that the property was not taken in the first place".
News coverage about the alleged taken ashes generated online responses, and although the teenager was not identified in the messages, his mother said individuals "understood it was him".
The "online posts were really upsetting", she said.
Emotional Health Effect
She added that Kai had been diagnosed with moderate attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and as part of that condition, other peoples' views really mattered to him.
"This must have hurt him deeply," she said, "especially when this was untrue".
The teenager was detained at his residence, but nothing was found. He was taken to a police station and later freed under investigation.
Police said they would be in contact, the inquest heard, but had not reached out to the relatives by the moment of his passing.
Isolation and Worry
His mother said Kai "withdrew into himself" after the arrest and "repeatedly inquired me whether I had heard anything from the police", because his condition meant sometimes "a minute could feel like days".
When she talked to him about the supposed burglary, she said her child informed her he had entered the house because the resident who lived there had said he could use the bathroom anytime he wanted, but denied taking anything.
Online Harassment
In a combined testimony between her and her husband, the mother said her son was being bullied digitally after the accusations.
The inquest learned that a 19-year-old encouraged the teenager to end his life.
She had no concerns on the night before he died, explaining how she had listened to him "laughing and joking".
She described him as a "compassionate, loving" boy, and said her "family is totally devastated".
He had been "obviously concealing his concerns", she stated, noting that he could not stand to have anybody "think bad of him".
School Reaction
The hearing received testimony from educational personnel at Connah's Quay High School.
On November 8th, she "heard some boys talking that the student had been detained and that was the first I learned".
"He told me... he'd was innocent," she continued.
After the conversation, the educator said she called Kai's parents' telephone and provided a message saying she had communicated to Kai about the accusations.
The court heard his parents said they did not got that message.
Formal Conclusion
Lead coroner told the inquest he would await reports regarding what improvements had been made to handling individuals with ADHD, before determining whether he should make a prevention of subsequent fatalities report.
Providing a narrative conclusion, he stated: "Around 8 November 2021, unsupported accusations were made against Kai Benjamin Lloyd, a 14-year-old individual.
"Probably untruths were subsequently exaggerated and exaggerated through the platform of online networks.
"On November 11th, he was interviewed by the authorities and after his interview he was released while investigations continued."
The coroner determined: "There is no evidence that the acts or failures of any agency led to or contributed to his death and although it was the result of a personal action it is impossible to discern his purpose."