Scouts condemned by coroner after death of teenager in 200ft cliff fall
Jury hears ‘inadequacies’ of association were to blame after 16-year-old went off unsupervised
A CORONER has accused the Scout Association of putting youngsters’ lives at risk after a boy died in a 200ft cliff fall when he went off unsupervised with no written risk assessment carried out.
Ben Leonard, 16, died from a head injury after he and two other boys went off while on a trip with the Reddish Explorer Scouts from Stockport to Great Orme in Llandudno in August 2018.
David Pojur, the assistant coroner for North Wales, yesterday discharged the jury in the case, expressing fears its members had been “misled” by the association and so had not been given the full picture about the tragedy.
The coroner also issued a report to prevent future deaths, saying: “The lives of young people are being put at risk by the Scout Association’s failure to recognise the inadequacies of their operational practice and the part this has played in the death of Ben.”
The report, which will be sent to the association, will catalogue 20 concerns the case had raised, including how safety policies were not implemented and risk assessments were not carried out.
Mr Pojur said that no instructions were given to the boys and there was no effective leadership for the group, which had been due to climb Snowdon but went to Llandudno instead because of bad weather.
The inquest at Ruthin County Hall had been told Ben, from Stockport, Greater Manchester, and two friends, Alex Jamieson, 15, and Christopher Gilbert, 16, had separated from the other Scouts and their three leaders.
“Each of the three [Scout] leaders assumed the three boys were with one of the leaders when in fact they were not. They were on their own,” Mr Pojur said.
The inquest heard Ben was seen “edging” along a narrow section of the cliff as he tried to reach the road below.
However, he lost his footing, slipped and fell.
The five-day hearing saw the boy’s family walk out when Jess Kelly, the association’s safety manager, suggested Ben had a “stubborn nature,” although she accepted he was not a “bad lad”.
After discharging the jury, Mr Pojur said the association had failed to provide the inquest with the full information
‘Each of the three leaders assumed the boys were with one of the leaders. They were on their own’
and “created a misleading impression,” particularly with regard to three Scout leaders on the trip.
In legal discussions about making a report for the prevention of future deaths, it emerged the leaders had been put on restricted duties after Ben’s death, although that had not been revealed as evidence to the jury.
Mr Pojur told the jury: “All of that means you haven’t had the full picture and you can’t assess the case and give a full conclusion in relation to this matter if you don’t have all the evidence.”
Jackie Leonard, Ben’s mother, told the inquest the teenager had received his GCSE results three days before his death and had enrolled to study film and television at a Salford college.
She said: “He was a wonderful boy and a fantastic son and brother.”
A second inquest, at which the chief executive of the Scout Association is expected to be called to give evidence, will take place later this year.
A Scouts spokesman said the association had been “truly saddened” by Ben’s “tragic death”, adding that safety is its number one priority.
“We take this matter very seriously. We will be carefully considering the coroner’s concerns and will respond in detail,” he said.
“Following this tragic event, we have strengthened our policies and procedures to ensure young people can enjoy activities safely.
“As this case has not concluded, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further at this stage.”