Dad, 32, died from organ failure after tattoo by unlicensed artist in garden shed

'He touched so many hearts.'

An ‘adored’ dad contracted a serious infection after getting a tattoo in a garden shed prior to his death, an inquest has found.

Ben Larry of Ormesby died on May 6 last year, with the 32-year-old’s parents saying he ‘touched so many hearts’ and was ‘loved by everyone’.

An inquest into Ben’s death was held at Teesside Coroner’s Court last week and heard his leg became infected after tattoo work.

Assistant coroner Paul Appleton concluded that Ben died as a result of multi organ failure caused by an infection in his right leg.

He said: ‘This infection was secondary to tattoo work that Benjamin had done to his right leg on May 1, 2023. That tattoo work was performed at unregistered premises.’

A Cleveland Police spokesperson said: ‘Following a police investigation, it was decided that due to evidential difficulties, there would be no prosecution with regards to the death of a 32-year-old man.’

Despite the criminal case being dropped, Middlesbrough Council launched a civil case against tattooist Tony James Learmount.

He was found guilty of operating in a garden shed not registered to carry out tattooing at Teesside Magistrates’ Court in January.

The council’s case was proven in Learmount’s absence and magistrates fined the tattooist £1,000, ordered him to pay a £400 victim surcharge and £300 towards the council’s costs.

Cleveland Police previously issued a warning to the public of the dangers of unlicensed tattooists, urging people to check the Body Art register prior to visiting a tattooist.

Learmount was stopped from trading in 2018 to protect public health and anyone with a tattoo inked by Learmount was advised to contact their GP.

The action was taken by Middlesbrough Council following complaints from members of the public about the artist’s hygiene standards.

When Environmental Health Officers investigated, they found that Learmount presented a risk of significant harm to human health.

Following Ben’s tragic death, his parents said: ‘Our precious, adored, kind and caring son was loved by everyone. He touched so many hearts.

‘No parent should lose a child, no child should lose their daddy and no grandparent should lose a grandchild.

‘Our hearts are broken, we are so lucky to have our two beautiful grandsons to keep his legacy and our memories of him alive.’

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