A 14-year-old boy died after eating poisonous berries he found during a walk in the park with his father, The Independent reported. The boy named Benn Curran-Nicholls had severe autism with intellectual impairment used to regularly take morning walks through a local park for exercise. He stopped at a yew tree he frequently liked to climb. The teen reportedly ate some yew tree berries and leaves, as neither he nor his father knew they were poisonous.
Benn and his father, went for a walk in the park on September 18, last year. Later that day, at 6 pm, the teenager became unwell and suddenly collapsed. He was rushed to the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital by emergency ambulance where he died in the early hours of September 19, 2022.
Toxilogy report revealed that he died of "refractory cardiogenic shock due to taxane alkaloid poisoning" from ingesting the berries and leaves. The report further said that although yew trees poisonings are rare, a "number of cases" had been reported.
Assistant Coroner for Manchester City Council, Andrew Bridgman, expressed apprehensions regarding the authorities' management of the incident and their choice not to issue a public alert regarding the hazards associated with yew trees.
Following an extensive discussion, the council and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) opted against issuing an alert due to concerns that it might pose a greater risk of causing harm than providing benefit, given the relatively infrequent occurrence of deaths from yew tree poisoning.
An email from UKHSA to the council read: "We agreed at present that there was probably a risk of doing more harm than good from any comms put out.
"W would be very concerned about unintended consequences from comms messages, e.g. highlighting the risk of harm which may in turn provide a source for people to self-harm as a potential route for suicide."
However, the coroner described the decision as "illogical."
"Berries and the like might be attractive to young children who would not recognise the dangers and risks, of even illness let alone death," he wrote in his preventing future deaths report. "The poisonous nature of the yew tree is not, on the evidence, well known to the public.
"The decision appears to be focused on comms solely about the yew tree and the risks of identifying an additional means of deliberate ingestion for suicide."
"No consideration was given to highlighting the risks of eating wild berries and/or leaves in more general terms."
"In the circumstance it is my view that the decision not to put out public health messages, either specific to the yew tree or in more general terms, was not properly and fully thought through. It should be re-visited."
Mr. Bridgman concluded that there existed a potential for a fatality under comparable circumstances and that disseminating information to the public regarding the hazards of yew trees would mitigate this risk.
"In my opinion action, namely further consideration, should be taken to prevent future deaths and I believe you have the power to take such action," he said.
A Manchester City Council spokesperson said: "Our thoughts are with the family in this heartbreaking case. It's a matter which we are taking extremely seriously and we will continue to take advice on best practice and respond to the coroner's recommendations in due course."
A spokesperson for UKHSA said: "Our thoughts remain with the family. UKHSA continues to support colleagues at Manchester City Council regarding this tragic case and we will respond to the coroner's recommendations in due course."
