🔗 Share this article

Family Photo

A teenage youth was found dead only a few days after being wrongly blamed of stealing the ashes of a deceased infant during a burglary, an inquest has heard.

Tragic Finding

Kai Lloyd's parents found his body in his bedroom at his Connah's Quay home on November 19th, 2021.

Untrue Accusations Start

The investigation learned how his mother got a message on November 8th, 2021 via social media, from a individual asking if her son was her offspring. The communication stated: "Inform him thanks for burgling my flat."

In a testimony read to the proceedings, the mother said the woman had been in the media, claiming her infant's remains had been stolen in a break-in - a allegation which was false.

Law Enforcement Inquiry

An investigation report from police later determined the supposed burglary victim had "provided false information" and "evidence shows that the property was never stolen in the first place".

Media reports about the alleged taken ashes attracted online comments, and although the teenager was not identified in the posts, his mother said people "understood it was him".

The "online posts were extremely distressing", she said.

Emotional Wellbeing Impact

She explained that Kai had been identified with moderate ADHD, and as part of that condition, other individuals' views genuinely mattered to him.

"This must have hurt him deeply," she commented, "especially when this was not true".

The teenager was arrested at home, but no evidence was found. He was transported to a police station and later released pending further inquiry.

Police said they would be in touch, the inquest learned, but had not contacted the family by the moment of his death.

Withdrawal and Worry

His parent said her son "became isolated" after the detention and "would keep asking me whether I had heard anything from the authorities", because his ADHD meant sometimes "a minute could feel like days".

When she spoke to him about the alleged burglary, she said her son told her he had gone into the residence because the woman who lived there had said he could use the bathroom whenever he wanted, but denied removing anything.

Online Harassment

In a combined testimony between her and her spouse, the mother said her son was being bullied digitally after the allegations.

The inquest heard that a young adult urged Kai to end his life.

She had no concerns on the night before he passed away, explaining how she had heard him "laughing and teasing".

She described him as a "compassionate, affectionate" young man, and said her "family is totally shattered".

He had been "clearly hiding his worries", she said, noting that he could not bear to have anybody "have negative thoughts of him".

Educational Response

The hearing heard from school personnel at the local secondary school.

On 8 November, she "heard some boys talking that the student had been arrested and that was the initial I heard".

"He informed me... he'd was innocent," she added.

After the discussion, the staff member said she rang the family's family telephone and left a message saying she had spoken to the student about the allegations.

The court learned his parents said they never got that communication.

Official Conclusion

Senior coroner told the inquest he would await reports regarding what enhancements had been made to handling suspects with ADHD, before deciding whether he should make a avoidance of future fatalities report.

Providing a narrative finding, he stated: "Approximately November 8th, 2021, unsubstantiated accusations were made against Kai Benjamin Lloyd, a 14-year-old child.

"Likely falsehoods were afterwards embellished and amplified through the medium of online networks.

"During 11 November, he was questioned by the authorities and following his questioning he was released while inquiries proceeded."

The coroner determined: "There is no evidence that the acts or omissions of any organization caused or contributed to his passing and although it was the result of a self-inflicted action it is not possible to discern his purpose."