Scout Leaders Challenge Unlawful Killing Verdict

A Scout leader and an assistant leader are attempting to challenge the conclusions of an inquest that determined their culpability for the unlawful killing of a 16-year-old. Ben Leonard, a resident of Stockport, Manchester, was part of a group on a visit to Llandudno’s Great Orme when he suffered a fatal fall of 200ft (60m) from a cliff during a hike. A jury previously ruled that a leader and his assistant were accountable for unlawful killing; this finding is currently being contested by them in a High Court judicial review, which is anticipated to conclude on Wednesday. During the proceedings, it was stated that leader Sean Glaister “simply had no idea” that Ben was in a perilous situation. In August 2018, Ben and two fellow members of the Reddish Explorer Scouts separated from the primary hiking group and followed an unsupervised path up the hillside. Ben subsequently slipped from a narrow cliff edge, resulting in a fall that caused fatal head injuries. Following the inquest in February, Ben’s mother, Jackie Leonard, informed the BBC that their prolonged wait for a determination had been “soul destroying,” especially after two prior inquests were stopped. The inquest jury was presented with evidence indicating that neither an advance nor an on-the-day risk assessment was conducted for the excursion, nor was there any safety discussion with the Explorer Scouts by Mr. Glaister or assistant leader Mary Carr. Nevertheless, during the judicial review hearing held previously at the Manchester Civil Justice Centre, legal representatives for Mr. Glaister and Ms. Carr asserted that coroner David Pojur committed multiple legal and procedural mistakes during the inquest. Noel Dilworth, acting on behalf of Ms. Carr, stated that both legal teams “recognise the family is still grieving.” Oliver Campbell, who represents Mr. Glaister, contended that “there was no evidence on which the jury could properly come to the conclusion that Ben Leonard was unlawfully killed.” He further argued that the coroner’s choice to permit the jury to reach a verdict of unlawful killing was “irrational and unlawful.” According to him, there was no indication that Mr. Glaister would have been cognizant of “an immediate, striking and glaring risk of death” at the time. He concluded by stating, “He simply had no idea that they had gone into a situation of danger.” Mr. Dilworth asserted that “the general culture within the Explorer wing of the Scout movement encouraged autonomy and did not require constant supervision of Explorers.” He also stated that it was “not within her knowledge and it’s not within [Ms Carr’s] foresight” that the three boys would approach the cliff edge. He further commented, “It is only through the ‘retrospectoscope’ that one starts to criticise and seek to add to the information that was available to Ms Carr.” The proceedings are ongoing.