Jill Greenfield represents family of Ben Leonard at jury inquest

The inquest into the death of 16-year-old Ben Leonard continues into its third week in Manchester. Head of Serious Injury Jill Greenfield, Director Harvinder Kaur and Assistant Harriet Salvesen-Sawh represent the family and instruct Bernard Richmond KC and Nick McCall. 

Ben died from serious head injuries on a Scout trip to the Great Orme in North Wales in 2018.

He had a passion for script writing and dreamt of a career in the film industry. When he set off with Scout leaders up the Great Orme, he was carrying a copy of Pride and Prejudice he'd just purchased from a second-hand bookshop.

But when he and two friends were allowed to wander off with no map, route plan or adult with them, Ben fell 200 feet off a narrow track. Questions in court included whether a written risk assessment had been performed for the trip.

Two previous inquests into how and why he died were disbanded by the coroner over concerns about evidence from the Scouts.

Immediately after Ben's mother, Jackie, told the court that she had never worried about Ben when he was with his Scout troop, the Scouts, via Counsel, apologised to Ben's family and accepted responsibility for his death.

Their KC said in front of the jury: 'I want to apologise again today on behalf of the Scout Association, it accepts it was at fault for Ben’s death and accepts its responsibility for it.

“Again, we want to apologise to you and your family for your tragic loss.”

The jury will continue to hear from senior scout leaders to determine when, how, where and why Ben died.