Second inquest to open into teenager’s death on north Wales Scout trip
A second inquest into the death of a teenager is to begin on Thursday due to concerns that a jury in the first inquest may have been misled by the Scout Association.
Ben Leonard, 16, suffered a serious head injury when he fell about 200ft at Great Orme in Llandudno, north Wales.
He died while on a trip with the Reddish Explorer Scouts from Stockport, Greater Manchester, on August 26 2018.
Ben and two friends had separated from the other Scouts and were unaccompanied by any of the three Scout leaders on the trip when he fell from the cliff edge.
Apology
An inquest into his death was held in February 2020 at Ruthin Coroner’s Court but the jury was discharged by David Pojur, assistant coroner for North Wales east and central, who said the Scout Association had failed to provide the court with full information and “created a misleading impression”.
The Scout Association issued an apology to Ben’s family and Mr Pojur, in a report, said the organisation was putting the lives of young people at risk through inadequate operational practices.
Mr Pojur issued a report to prevent future deaths, to be sent to the Scout Association, which listed 20 concerns.
Senior leaders within the Scout Association are scheduled to give evidence at the new inquest, listed for four weeks, to begin at Manchester Civil Justice Centre later on Thursday.
Figures
Ben’s mother Jackie Leonard is listed as the first witness to be called after jury selection.
More than 400,000 young people and 100,000 adult volunteers take part in Scouting projects and activities each week, according to the association’s own figures.
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