Drinks boy died in the cold

Reporter: Robbie Gill
Date published: 09 October 2014


AN underage drinker died in the cold in an alley only yards from his home, an inquest heard.

Leon Cudworth (15) of Ripponden Road, Oldham, had been out with friends from Kingsland School at Danielle’s Bar, Lees, on Valentine’s night.

His body was found later without his jacket. There was cannabis in his body and his blood alcohol level was twice the limit for driving.

The inquest was told Leon most likely died from hypothermia.

Neighbour Tracey Royal told the inquest she heard someone shouting, banging and crying outside their house at around 2.30am. Another witness heard a scream and called police.

The two officers who attended, Steven Norris and Andrew Peters, partially searched the area but found nothing

Leon’s father, Michael, went to bed around 11.30pm after calling Leon, who said he would be home by midnight. When Mr Cudworth woke next morning Leon wasn’t in bed - and the alley near his home was cordoned off and swarming with police.

Mr Cudworth said: “I phoned a couple of his friends and they were surprised he wasn’t home, so I spoke to the police outside.

“Somebody then sent me a text saying they had found someone, but they thought it was too big to be Leon. But I went down because I had to know; my mind was all over the place.

“I’d tried to ring Leon and when the police told me a phone had been ringing, that concluded it for me.”

Pathologist Dr Phillip Lumb said that hypothermia sufferers may remove items of clothing despite being cold.

The inquest continues.