Ben Leonard: Mum's 'soul destroying' wait for Scouts death ruling

The mother of Ben Leonard, who died after a fall on a Scouts trip, has said the five-year wait for an inquest finding was "soul destroying".

Two inquests had been abandoned after problems with the Scout Association's evidence following the 16-year-old's death in 2018.

The teen, from Stockport, died after a slip on the Great Orme in Llandudno.

A coroner at the third inquest on Thursday found a leader and assistant were responsible for unlawful killing.

He also found neglect by the Scout Association contributed to Ben's death.

Jackie Leonard told BBC North West Tonight she felt relief after the coroner's finding.

"We felt vindicated in a way because there was just so much had gone on over these years," she explained.

Ms Leonard said her "caring, funny, witty" son had been "looking forward" to a hike on Yr Wyddfa, also known as Snowdon, during the trip in August 2018.

However, due to poor weather, the scout group were taken for a walk on the Orme.

The inquest heard there were no on-the-day risk assessments for the trek and no discussion about safety with the Explorer Scouts by their group leader Sean Glaister or assistant leader Mary Carr.

Ben Leonard died while on a trip to north Wales in 2018

Ben and two other boys broke away from the main hike and took their own unsupervised route but he slipped off a narrow cliff edge and suffered fatal head injuries.

The jury heard evidence that there had also been no written risk assessment carried out for the camping trip.

There was additionally no Scout-accredited first-aider on the trip, after a senior leader failed to attend the event.

Ben was a fan of books and films, his family said

The Scout Association could be investigated by police over whether it tried to pervert the course of justice.

Following Thursday's hearing, the Scouts repeated an apology to the Leonard family and said changes would be made.

"We emphatically refute allegations made in court about any criminal action on behalf of the Scout Association," chair Jennie Price added.

Ms Leonard said of delays in concluding the inquest proceedings: "It's been soul destroying, you know - we've been just in limbo really, because there's no closure. It's always there, sort of on your shoulder."

She added the events of 2018 had "broken trust, really, because you think your children are safe".

She said: "I never, ever worried about him when he went anywhere with Scouts because I thought he was being looked after."

Calls for inquiry

She has joined calls by parents of other children who have died on scouting trips for an external regulator and for a public inquiry into the organisation.

A government spokeswoman said: "Our deepest sympathies are with Ben's family and friends. Keeping young people safe should always be the first priority.

"As this is a live police matter we are unable to comment any further."

Ms Leonard said: "I think [the Scouts] need to look at themselves very carefully.

"I don't know how some of them sleep at night with what they've done and the way they have treated us and not just us, but other families."

She said she believed the organisation, which works with nearly 500,000 young people, had "some good people who are trying to do good work".

"But they shouldn't be held responsible for compliance, auditing, training and things like that - they're giving up their time.

"I think it should come from up above, from the association and the hierarchy needs to do more."