Jury retires to consider if Stockport teenager who plunged to death on Scouts trip was unlawfully killed

The jury at the inquest into the death of a teenager from Stockport who plunged to his death whilst on a Scout trip have been sent out to consider if he was unlawfully killed.

Ben Leonard, from Reddish, suffered a fatal head injury when he fell 20fft off a cliff edge on the Great Orme in Llandudno, North Wales, on August 26, 2018

The 16-year-old was on a trip with the Reddish Explorer Scouts when the tragedy happened. The inquest, which began on January 4 this year, has heard Ben's family were lied to with suggestions the 'approach' initially taken by the Scout Association was to blame the boy for the tragedy amid worries over 'reputational damage' to the organisation.

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Two previous inquests were aborted until the current hearing – where the Scouts for the first time apologised and said it 'accepts responsibility' for Ben's death.

On Monday (February 19), David Pojur, assistant coroner for North Wales East and Central told the jury at the inquest, sitting at Manchester Civil Justice Centre, that their job was not to blame any person or organisation, but merely to establish the facts.

He said four conclusions were open for them to consider following the almost two months of evidence. He said they could conclude the reason for Ben’s death was unlawful killing by one or both of the Scout leaders on the trip, Sean Glaister and Mary Carr, contributed to by neglect by The Scout Association.

Two further conclusions open to jurors, Mr Pojur said, were misadventure or misadventure contributed to by neglect by one or both of the Scout leaders on the trip, or by The Scout Association.

Before they were sent out to begin their deliberations, at