Tragedy of boy found hanged after being questioned on sex claim

Yale Howarth was found hanged at his home in Black Park, Chirk, two hours after the interview with staff at Ysgol Dinas Bran, Llangollen, in January, 2013.

He was asked for his version of events at a party two days earlier in which he and the girl had drunk a large amount of alcohol. The incident came to light when the girl a member of school staff asking for the "morning after" pill because she didn't know whether she had had sex or not.

Assistant head Dafydd Morris, who was in charge of child protection at the time, interviewed Yale after being advised to do so by Wrexham's social services department, and the 15-year-old, who admitted having drunk 10 cans of lager, said the pair had been intimate.

Mr Morris told an inquest in Ruthin that when he told Yale that a girl under the influence of alcohol could not consent to have sex he seemed "shocked and scared".

But Mr Morris denied having told Yale that the police would have to be notified, although that was mentioned by the teenager in a Facebook message to the girl before he died.

"I would never threaten a student like that," said Mr Morris.

He said Yale appeared calm and composed as he left the meeting.

Asked by John Gittins, the coroner for North Wales East and Central, why the boy's parents Mark and Della Howarth had not been informed of the interview, Mr Morris said Yale had not wanted them to know and he himself believed that no action would be taken. Confidentiality was also a consideration.

He said he did not regard it as a serious incident, merely a case of two teenagers experimenting.

Social workers were asked for advice by school nurse Sian Hughes because of her concern that four teenagers had been left alone in the house with a large quantity of alcohol.

Alison Duffy, who was head teacher at the time, said she was unaware of the investigation until after Yale's death.

Asked by the coroner whether, with hindsight, she felt more could have been done to support Yale during the process, she replied: "Yes."

She was also asked when parents were told about such issues, and she replied: "It comes down to professional judgment when talking with the child and taking into consideration his or her maturity, the age and quality, and the type of incident."

Ms Duffy described Yale as "a wonderful, mature, well-spoken, level-headed lad. He was a lovely lad, a gentle giant."

The inquest will continue on Monday.