Youth Discovered Dead After Untrue Allegations of Taking Ashes
A teenage youth was found dead just days following being wrongly accused of stealing the ashes of a deceased baby during a break-in, a coroner's inquiry has learned.
Tragic Discovery
Kai Lloyd's mother and father discovered his body in his bedroom at his Connah's Quay residence on November 19th, 2021.
Untrue Allegations Begin
The investigation heard how his mother got a message on 8 November 2021 via online platforms, from a woman inquiring if Kai was her child. The communication added: "Tell him thanks for breaking into my flat."
In a testimony read to the proceedings, Lisa Lloyd said the woman had been in the media, asserting her baby's remains had been taken in a break-in - a allegation which was false.
Law Enforcement Investigation
An investigation report from police later determined the alleged burglary complainant had "lied to police" and "evidence shows that the property was never stolen in the first place".
News coverage about the supposed stolen remains attracted online responses, and although Kai was not named in the posts, his mother said people "understood it was him".
The "social media content were really upsetting", she stated.
Emotional Health Effect
She added that Kai had been diagnosed with moderate ADHD, and as part of that condition, other peoples' opinions really were important to him.
"This must have affected him severely," she said, "particularly when this was untrue".
Kai was detained at home, but nothing was found. He was taken to a police station and later freed pending further inquiry.
Authorities said they would be in contact, the hearing heard, but had failed to reached out to the relatives by the time of his passing.
Isolation and Worry
His mother said her son "became isolated" after the arrest and "repeatedly inquired me whether I had heard anything from the authorities", because his condition meant sometimes "a minute could seem like days".
When she spoke to him about the alleged incident, she said her son informed her he had gone into the house because the woman who lived there had said he could use the bathroom anytime he needed, but refuted taking anything.
Online Harassment
In a joint statement between her and her husband, the mother said her child was being harassed online after the allegations.
The inquest learned that a 19-year-old urged the teenager to end his life.
She had no worries on the evening before he passed away, describing how she had heard him "laughing and teasing".
She portrayed him as a "compassionate, affectionate" young man, and said her "relatives is totally devastated".
He had been "clearly concealing his concerns", she stated, noting that he could not bear to have anyone "think bad of him".
School Response
The inquest heard from school staff at Connah's Quay High School.
On 8 November, she "heard some boys talking that Kai had been detained and that was the first I heard".
"He informed me... he'd was innocent," she added.
After the conversation, the educator said she called Kai's parents' landline and left a voicemail saying she had communicated to the student about the accusations.
The proceedings learned his family said they did not receive that message.
Formal Finding
Senior coroner told the hearing he would await reports regarding what enhancements had been made to dealing with individuals with ADHD, before deciding whether he should make a prevention of subsequent fatalities report.
Providing a descriptive finding, he said: "Approximately 8 November 2021, unsubstantiated accusations were made against Kai Benjamin Lloyd, a 14-year-old child.
"Probably falsehoods were subsequently exaggerated and exaggerated through the medium of online networks.
"On November 11th, he was interviewed by the police and following his questioning he was released while investigations continued."
The coroner determined: "There is no proof that the acts or failures of any agency caused or contributed to his death and although it was the outcome of a self-inflicted action it is not possible to determine his purpose."
