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A 14-year-old boy was found dead just days after being wrongly blamed of stealing the cremated remains of a deceased baby during a burglary, an inquest has heard.

Tragic Finding

Kai Lloyd's mother and father discovered his body in his bedroom at his Connah's Quay home on November 19th, 2021.

False Accusations Begin

The inquest learned how his mother got a message on November 8th, 2021 via online platforms, from a individual inquiring if Kai was her child. The message added: "Tell him appreciation for breaking into my flat."

In a testimony read to the court, Lisa Lloyd said the woman had been in the news, claiming her infant's remains had been stolen in a burglary - a claim which was false.

Police Inquiry

An investigation report from police later determined the supposed break-in complainant had "provided false information" and "it now appears that the property was not stolen in the beginning".

News coverage about the alleged stolen ashes generated online comments, and although the teenager was not named in the messages, his mother said people "understood it was him".

The "social media content were really upsetting", she said.

Mental Health Impact

She added that Kai had been diagnosed with moderate ADHD, and as part of that disorder, other individuals' views genuinely were important to him.

"It would have hurt him deeply," she said, "particularly when this was not true".

The teenager was arrested at home, but nothing was discovered. He was transported to a police station and later released under investigation.

Police said they would be in contact, the hearing learned, but had not contacted the relatives by the time of his death.

Withdrawal and Worry

His mother said Kai "became isolated" after the arrest and "would keep asking me whether I had heard anything from the police", because his ADHD meant sometimes "a minute could seem like much longer".

When she talked to him about the alleged burglary, she said her son told her he had gone into the residence because the woman who resided there had said he could use the bathroom anytime he needed, but denied removing anything.

Digital Bullying

In a joint statement between her and her spouse, the mother said her child was being bullied online after the accusations.

The inquest heard that one young adult encouraged Kai to kill himself.

She had no worries on the night before he died, describing how she had listened to him "laughing and teasing".

She described him as a "caring, affectionate" young man, and said her "relatives is completely devastated".

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

Educational Response

The inquest received testimony from school staff at the local High School.

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

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

After the discussion, the educator said she called the family's parents' landline and left a voicemail saying she had communicated to Kai about the accusations.

The proceedings heard his family said they did not receive that message.

Formal Conclusion

Senior coroner informed the hearing he would await reports regarding what improvements had been made to handling individuals with the condition, before deciding whether he should make a prevention of future fatalities report.

Delivering a narrative finding, he said: "Approximately 8 November 2021, unsubstantiated accusations were made against the teenager, a 14-year-old individual.

"Probably untruths were subsequently exaggerated and amplified through the platform of online networks.

"On November 11th, he was interviewed by the police and following his interview he was freed whilst investigations proceeded."

The coroner concluded: "There is no proof that the actions or omissions of any organization caused or contributed to his passing and although it was the outcome of a personal action it is impossible to discern his intent."