Inquest records an open verdict

The Cornish teenager who took his own life in a mental health unit after his relationship with an older TV comedian was ‘failed by the NHS’.

An inquest in Truro has returned an open verdict into the death of Ben Cowburn after hearing he made at least 43 attempts to kill himself.

But the gay comedian, who introduced him to a ‘hedonistic’ lifestyle in London has remained unnamed, following an informal agreement between the coroner, the Cowburn family and the NHS – despite representations by the media to publicly identify him.

The jury heard that the Cowburn was ‘taken advantage of’ by the star, referred to only as Mr X during the hearings.

One independent expert psychiatrist said Ben was from post-traumatic stress disorder after the sexual encounters in London. The inquest heard Ben, who was 18, was invited to parties, and at at one was made to strip in front of a group of men.

The comedian was never questioned by police over what happened, and he was not invited to give his side of the story to the inquest.

The jury took approximately four hours to decide their verdict, saying that shortcomings at Longreach mental health unit in Cornwall, where he died in the early hours of December 20, 2010, led to his death.

Ben's mother, Sharon, told reporters that losing her son was ‘far too high a price to pay’ for the NHS to learn lessons about the care it offered,

Published: 27 Mar 2014