A young boy has died after eating poisonous berries on a walk in a park with his father, just months after moving to England from Australia.
Benn Curran-Nicholls, 14, moved to Manchester with his family in June 2022.
The teenager, who lived with severe autism, walked to Fletcher Moss Park in the suburb of Didsbury with his father on the morning of September 18, 2022.
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“Among other things, there was a yew tree that Benn liked to climb,” Assistant Coroner Andrew Bridgman said in a report following an investigation into the boy’s death.
Benn ate some yew tree berries and leaves and, not knowing, they were poisonous, his father took no action.
Later that day, Benn suddenly collapsed and was rushed to Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. He died in hospital the next day.
The cause of death was found to be “refractory cardiogenic shock” from ingesting the yew tree berries and leaves.
His death was ruled a misadventure.
In the report sent to the local council and UK health department, Bridgman noted the council was unaware yew trees were poisonous.
“Toxicological evidence was that yew tree poisoning in humans was rare, but that a number of cases had been reported,” the assistant coroner said.
Bridgman recommended further consideration should be taken to prevent future deaths from yew trees, following an email that was sent to the local council from the health department after Benn’s death.
The email stated that public messaging about the incident could do more harm than good and have “unintended consequences” as it could provide people with a source for self-harm.
“The reason for not sending out comms messages for educational/warning and informational purposes because the message is about something that a person wouldn’t usually eat is illogical,” Bridgman said.
“Berries and the like might be attractive to young children who would not recognise the dangers and risks, of even illness let alone death.
“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.”
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