A 14-year-old boy was found dead after vicious online lies accused him of stealing baby ashes

A 14-year-old boy took his own life just days after being falsely accused on social media of stealing a dead baby’s ashes, an inquest has heard.

Kai Lloyd was found dead in his bedroom at his family’s home in Connah’s Quay, Flintshire, on 19 November 2021. The tragedy followed a storm of online abuse that erupted after false claims linked him to a burglary that never happened.

The inquest, held in Ruthin, heard that Kai’s mother, Lisa Lloyd, had received a disturbing message on 8 November 2021 from a woman named Chloe Robinson. The message read: “Tell him thanks for burgling my flat.” Robinson had been featured in the media, claiming that her baby’s ashes had been stolen during a break-in.

Police later concluded the supposed victim had “lied to police”, and that “it now appears that said property was never stolen in the first place”. Despite that, the damage had already been done.

Although Kai was never named in public posts, his mother said people in the community “knew it was him”. Social media comments swirled, spreading untrue rumours that devastated the boy. “The online posts were really upsetting,” Mrs Lloyd said. “It would have hurt him deeply, especially when this was not true.”

Kai had been diagnosed with mild ADHD. His mother explained that he was particularly sensitive to what others thought of him. “As part of his condition, other people’s opinions really mattered,” she told the court.

Police arrested Kai at home, but nothing was found. He was questioned at the station and released under investigation. Officers told the family they would be in touch, but by the time of his death, no further contact had been made.

Mrs Lloyd described how the experience changed her son. “He withdrew into himself,” she said. “He would keep asking whether I’d heard anything from the police. His ADHD meant that a minute could feel like days.”

When she discussed the alleged burglary with him, Kai told her he had once entered the house because the woman had said he could use the toilet whenever he wanted. He insisted he had not taken anything.

In a joint statement, Kai’s parents said their son was being relentlessly bullied online after the false allegations surfaced. One 19-year-old, the inquest heard, even urged him to kill himself.

On the night before he died, Mrs Lloyd said she had “no concerns”, recalling hearing Kai “laughing and joking”. The next day, her world collapsed.

“He was a caring, loving boy,” she said through tears. “Our family is completely shattered.”

Kai’s head of year, Susan Messham, said she overheard students discussing his arrest and later spoke to Kai about it. “He told me he’d done nothing wrong,” she said. She left a message for his parents about the conversation, but they told the court they never received it.

The school’s current head teacher, James Forber, said improvements had since been made in how the school handles similar incidents.

Senior coroner John Gittins said he would await reports from North Wales Police about improvements in handling suspects with ADHD before deciding whether to issue a prevention of future deaths report.

Delivering his conclusion, Mr Gittins said: “Around 8 November 2021, unsubstantiated allegations were made against Kai Benjamin Lloyd, a 14-year-old child. Likely falsehoods were subsequently embellished and exaggerated through the medium of social media.”

He added: “On 11 November, he was questioned by police and released while investigations continued. There is no evidence that the acts or omissions of any agency caused or contributed to his death, and although it was the result of a self-inflicted act, it is not possible to discern his intent.”

Kai’s death has left a haunting reminder of how lies and online cruelty can destroy young lives.