Rutland boy Laurence Mullany-Mills drowned in 'tragic accident'

A six-year-old-boy from Ketton, Rutland, who was found dead in a lake earlier this year drowned in a “tragic accident”, an inquest heard.

Laurence Mullany-Mills and his grandmother Dawn Mullany, 71, from Castle Bytham, in Lincolnshire, were found dead in Holywell Lake, near Stamford, in February.

Post-mortem examinations found the pair had drowned, but despite police inquiries it is still not known how they came to be in the water, the inquest heard.

Following the conclusion of the inquest into the pair’s deaths, Lincolnshire Police today described the deaths as an “awful, tragic accident”.

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It is thought the pair went to the lake to feed the ducks but police have been unable to establish how they ended up in the water.

Recording a narrative verdict today, coroner Professor Robert Forrest concluded there had been no suspicious circumstances surrounding the incident and that the pair had drowned, Lincolnshire Police said.

Laurence’s mother contacted the force around 9.20pm on February 16 after her son failed to return to their home in Ketton.

The six-year-old had gone to stay with his grandmother but had been due to return home earlier that day, the inquest held at Boston Magistrates’ Court heard.

A search was launched after officers found no one home at Mrs Mullany’s house in Castle Bytham.

Mrs Mullany’s car was found later that evening near to Holywell Lake. Her body was recovered from the water a short time later.

Laurence’s body was found in the water in the early hours of the following day, February 17.

Police inquiries and post-mortem tests were carried out and there were found to be no suspicious circumstances.

Detective Chief Inspector David Wood said that evidence suggested Laurence and his grandmother had gone to the lake to feed the ducks.

He said: “Our investigations have definitively found that no third party contributed to the death of Mrs Mullany and Laurence, but we are unable to say exactly why or how they both ended up in the water.

“This was an awful, tragic accident and our thoughts are with the family. We hope that the conclusion of the inquest process enables them, in some sense, to move forward.”

In a statement released by Lincolnshire police, the family of the pair said: “We have known for some time what the inquest would and would not be able to tell us.

“We will never exactly know what happened that day, other than a tragic accident that’s taken away two wonderful people and beloved pillars of our family.

“Now we have to continue with the long and difficult journey that is rebuilding our lives with the support of our family and friends and the loving memory of our years spent with Dawn and Laurie.”