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Personal Snapshot

A 14-year-old youth was found dead just days after being wrongly accused of taking the cremated remains of a deceased infant during a burglary, a coroner's inquiry has learned.

Heartbreaking Finding

Kai Lloyd's parents discovered his remains in his room at his Connah's Quay home on November 19th, 2021.

False Allegations Begin

The investigation heard how his parent received a message on 8 November 2021 via social media, from a woman asking if her son was her offspring. The communication stated: "Tell him thanks for breaking into my apartment."

In a statement presented to the proceedings, the mother said the individual had been in the media, asserting her baby's remains had been stolen in a burglary - a claim which was false.

Police Investigation

An official inquiry from police later determined the alleged break-in victim had "provided false information" and "it now appears that said property was not taken in the beginning".

News coverage about the alleged stolen ashes attracted social media responses, and although the teenager was not identified in the messages, his mother said individuals "knew it was him".

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

Mental Wellbeing Impact

She added that her son had been identified with mild ADHD, and as part of that disorder, other individuals' views really mattered to him.

"It would have affected him severely," she said, "especially when this was untrue".

The teenager was detained at his residence, but nothing was found. He was transported to a law enforcement facility and later released under investigation.

Police said they would be in contact, the inquest learned, but had failed to reached out to the relatives by the time 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 "certain periods could feel like much longer".

When she spoke to him about the alleged burglary, she said her son told her he had entered the residence because the woman who lived there had said he could utilize the toilet whenever he needed, but denied removing anything.

Online Bullying

In a combined testimony between her and her spouse, Mrs Lloyd said her son was being harassed digitally after the allegations.

The inquest learned that one 19-year-old urged the teenager to kill himself.

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

She portrayed him as a "compassionate, affectionate" boy, and said her "family is completely shattered".

He had been "obviously concealing his worries", she stated, noting that he could not stand to have anybody "think bad of him".

School Response

The hearing received testimony from educational staff at Connah's Quay High School.

On November 8th, she "heard some boys discussing that Kai had been arrested and that was the first I learned".

"He told me... he'd was innocent," she continued.

After the discussion, the educator said she called Kai's parents' telephone and left a message saying she had communicated to Kai about the allegations.

The court heard his parents said they did not got that communication.

Official Conclusion

Lead investigator informed 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 future fatalities report.

Providing a descriptive conclusion, he stated: "Approximately 8 November 2021, unsubstantiated accusations were made against the teenager, a young child.

"Likely falsehoods were subsequently exaggerated and exaggerated through the platform of online networks.

"During 11 November, he was questioned by the police and after his questioning he was freed whilst investigations continued."

The coroner determined: "Exists no proof that the actions or omissions of any agency caused or contributed to his passing and although it was the outcome of a self-inflicted action it is impossible to determine his intent."