Benn Curran-Nicholls · Prevention of Future Deaths report

On 23.09.22 an investigation was opened into the death of Benn Curran-Nicholls who died on 19.09.22, aged 14 years.
The investigation concluded on 03.11.23.
The medical cause of death was:
1a Refractory cardiogenic shock due to taxane alkaloid poisoning following ingestion of yew tree berries and leaves.
1b
1c
2

The conclusion was Misadventure.

Benn Curran-Nicholls moved to Didsbury, with his family ████████, from Australia in June 2022. Benn suffered severe autism with intellectual impairment, and daily walks in the local parks became a part of his daily routine.
On the morning of 18.09.22 Benn and his father went for a walk in Fletcher Moss Park where, among other things, there was a yew tree that Benn liked to climb. Benn ate some yew tree berries and also some of the leaves. Benn’s father was not aware of the poisonous nature of yew tree berries/leaves, and so took no action. Interestingly neither was, in his evidence to me, Manchester City Council’s Neighbourhood Manager for Environmental Health aware that yew trees were poisonous.

Later that day at about 6pm Benn suddenly collapsed. He was admitted to Royal Manchester Children's Hospital by emergency ambulance where he died in the early hours of 19 September 2022.

Toxicological evidence was that yew tree poisoning in humans was rare, but that a number of cases had been reported.

There is a risk of a death arising in similar circumstances, and informing the public will clearly reduce the risk of those deaths. Perhaps particularly so for a child whose carer would be so informed.