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Personal Snapshot

A 14-year-old youth was discovered deceased only a few days following being falsely accused of stealing the cremated remains of a deceased infant during a break-in, an inquest has learned.

Tragic Finding

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

Untrue Allegations Begin

The inquest learned how his mother got a communication on 8 November 2021 via online platforms, from a woman asking if her son was her offspring. The message stated: "Inform him appreciation for breaking into my apartment."

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

Law Enforcement Investigation

An investigation report from police later concluded the supposed break-in victim had "lied to police" and "it now appears that the property was never stolen in the first place".

Media reports about the alleged taken remains attracted online comments, and although Kai was not named in the messages, his parent said individuals "understood it was him".

The "online posts were really upsetting", she said.

Mental Health Effect

She explained that her son had been diagnosed with mild ADHD, and as part of that condition, other peoples' views really mattered to him.

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

Kai was arrested at his residence, 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 reached out to the family by the moment of his death.

Isolation and Worry

His parent said Kai "withdrew into himself" after the detention and "would keep asking me whether I had heard anything from the police", because his condition meant sometimes "certain periods could seem like much longer".

When she spoke to him about the supposed burglary, she said her child told her he had gone into the residence because the resident who lived there had said he could utilize the toilet anytime he needed, but refuted taking anything.

Online Bullying

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

The inquest heard that a 19-year-old encouraged Kai to end his life.

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

She portrayed him as a "caring, loving" young man, and said her "relatives is totally devastated".

He had been "obviously hiding his concerns", she stated, adding that he could not stand to have anybody "have negative thoughts of him".

School Response

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

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

"He told me... he'd done nothing wrong," she continued.

After the discussion, the educator said she called the family's family landline and left a message saying she had spoken to the student about the allegations.

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

Official Conclusion

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

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

"Likely untruths were subsequently embellished and amplified through the platform of social media.

"During 11 November, he was interviewed by the authorities and after his interview he was released whilst inquiries continued."

The coroner determined: "Exists no proof that the actions or failures of any agency caused or contributed to his death and although it was the result of a self-inflicted action it is impossible to discern his purpose."