A SCOUT leader who was on a trip of the Great Orme when a teenager fell to his death said she felt “pressured” by the organisation into talking to a reverend after the incident, an inquest heard.
Benjamin Leonard, 16, of Stockport, suffered fatal head injuries when he fell about 200ft after slipping from the Great Orme in Llandudno while on an Explorer Scouts trip on August 26, 2018.
There were three leaders on the trip - Sean Glaister, Gareth Williams and Mary Carr – but none were suitably qualified first aiders for the trip, a breach of Scout rules.
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During today’s (February 1) hearing at the inquest into his death, held at Manchester Civil Justice Centre, Ms Carr said she later spoke to Reverend Liz Rowles, of St Pauls Heaton Moor, following advice from The Scout Association.
Ms Carr said she is of strong Christian faith, and though she said she said she was “trusting in God at the time”, she denied explaining Benjamin’s death as “God’s plan”.
She added that there was no suggestion that the accident was in any way Benjamin’s fault, and felt she could keep the Scouts safe, particularly with the support of the “very helpful” Mr Glaister, the primary leader of the trip.
Brian Garraway, a group Scout leader who was a qualified first aider, was believed by some to also be going on the trip, but did not.
He was appointed Ms Carr’s training advisor in March 2018 – to oversee her progress, rather than train her himself.
Ms Carr said Mr Garraway did “absolutely not” let her down, adding that he never sought to “hurry” her through her training.
She said that, at the time she was on the trip, she was familiar with the Scouts’ “five steps to risk assessment” guidelines.
Though, she said was not aware of the Scouts’ concept of “terrain zero, one or two” in relation to steepness of ground, and was not carrying her “yellow card” at the time.
The yellow card, also known as the Young People First code of practice, is supposed to be carried by all adults on Scout trips at all times.
In hindsight, she said she “one million per cent” would have done things differently on the trip, but “not with the knowledge at the time”.
Ms Carr later met Reverend Rowles on the advice of The Scout Association, having been “strongly encouraged to do so”.
Asked if she would use the phrase “God’s plan” to explain Benjamin’s death, Ms Carr answered: “Absolutely not. I’m not the sort of Christian who believes in pre-determined fate.”
She added that she was “floored” by Benjamin’s death, saying: “It’s something I carry with me every day.”
The inquest, the third into Benjamin’s death, began on January 4, and is due to conclude on February 16.
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