Coroner warns young Leeds Festival-goers to learn from David Celino's death

David Celino/Leeds Festival
David Celino died at last year's Leeds Fe Credit: PA Media

Thousands of teenage festival goers have been warned by a coroner to learn from the "painful tragedy" of a 16-year-old who died from an ecstasy overdose.

Kevin McLoughlin issued a direct appeal ahead of Leeds Festival, which starts next week, as he concluded the inquest into the death of David Celino, from Worsley, Greater Manchester.

David died in hospital on 28 August last year, shortly after receiving his GCSE exam results.

Mr McLoughlin told Wakefield Coroner’s Court on Thursday that he believed the teenager took one-and-a-half tablets he and his friends bought from a dealer at the site who has never been identified.

Festival boss tells parents teen's death took 'emotional toll' on him

He told the court: "This was enough to kill him.

"As a tribute to David I would hope that all young people attending the festival become aware of that fact and heed the lessons drawn from this painful tragedy."

Mr McLoughlin repeated the words of David’s father Gianpiero, who had previously told the inquest: "The ticket that signals the death of another young person has already been sold".

The coroner said: "I hope that every young person attending the festival does not take the risk that they are the person holding that dreadful ticket."

Following the death of 17-year-old Anya Buckley from a drugs-related death at the festival in 2019, the same coroner issued a report which urged organisers to think about whether unaccompanied 16 and 17-year-olds should be allowed into the event, which attracts 90,000 people every August.

Dad of boy, 16, who died at Leeds Fest says teens 'preyed on by drug dealers'
Gianpiero Celino (right) told his son's inquest teenagers were preyed on by drug dealers at Leeds Festival. Credit: PA

David's father had previously told the inquest drug dealers preyed on teenagers at the festival like "the child catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang".

But Mr Benn told the hearing on Wednesday young people should not be prevented from attending.

He said that there was no such prohibition at any major festival in the UK, including Glastonbury.

Instead, he said 16-year-olds should be able to buy alcohol, but the current law prohibiting alcohol sales for under-18s is rigidly applied at the festival.

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