07 February 2023 , 11:49
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A 14-year-old boy died after crashing a stolen car as he was chased by police, an inquest jury has been told.
Leo Gradwell 'lost control' of the Fiat 500 in Golborne, Greater Manchester before colliding with a Kia Sportage and then a Renault Clio, on October 11, 2019.
The teen was being chased by police at the time of the crash after the car matched the description of a vehicle that had been stolen the previous night in Wigan.
The coroner's court heard that a blue Fiat 500 had been taken by two masked males, one of whom had allegedly been carrying an axe.
Leo was not alleged to be one of the assailants.
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A two-week inquest into the boy's death is being heard at Bolton Town Hall in front of a jury and senior coroner Timothy Brennand.
The hearing was told that officers received a number of sightings throughout the morning and early afternoon on October 11 before they began following the car at about 1.25pm.
The Fiat 500 hit two other cars (MEN Media)CCTV footage played in court showed a portion of the chase from a number of different cameras, including the moment the Fiat flipped onto its side.
Following the collision, Leo went into cardiac arrest at the scene and was initially rushed to Royal Albert Edward Infirmary, before being taken to Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital - where he was later pronounced dead.
Home Office Pathologist Dr Philip Lumb carried out a post-mortem on Leo’s body and recorded a ‘head injury’ as the cause of his death, the Manchester Evening News reports.
Dr Lumb said he was unable to conclude whether or not Leo was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the incident.
Leo’s family was legally represented by barrister Mass Ndow-Njie and through him, they expressed ‘concerns’ about the manner in which Leo was ‘extracted’ from the car.
Dr Lumb responded that he was not an ‘expert on extractions’ but said that in his view, the injuries were unsurvivable.
“He had a very serious head injury and I don’t think he would have survived, whatever had happened,” Dr Lumb told the inquest.
Leo was just 14 when he died (MEN Media)Leo's mum Kirsty Gradwell cried as Mr Brennand read out her statement, where she described Leo as a 'caring', 'playful', and 'loving' child, who had never been arrested.
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However, Ms Gradwell admitted that as Leo got older, 'something changed' and his behaviour got worse, which led him to being excluded from Byrchall High School and moving to Special Educational Needs school Newbridge Learning Community.
Ms Gradwell also said that Leo loved motorbikes and that he wanted to be a professional rider when he grew up.
Speaking about the moment that Leo's life support was switched off in hospital, Ms Gradwell added: "To watch Leo die before my eye was the hardest thing I've ever had to deal with... I put my hand on his chest and felt his heart stop beating. I felt devastated."
Mr Brennand also read a statement that Ms Gradwell gave to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
In the statement, she described the scene of the crash, and accused an officer of speaking to her with a 'cold' tone of voice.
The inquest has been adjourned until Wednesday and is expected to hear representations from the emergency services and both hospitals in the coming days.