Kenneth "Kenny" Unsworth, 46, from Merseyside, was found dead in a burn by the side of the A90 between Brechin and Laurencekirk at around 12.20pm on November 26, 2025. He had been reported missing on November 22 after last being seen leaving his home in the Huyton area two days earlier.
Inquest findings
An inquest held at Bootle Town Hall this week determined that Mr Unsworth, who had a background of learning disabilities, died from hypothermia while under the influence of cocaine and alcohol. Anita Bhardwaj, senior coroner for Sefton, Knowsley and St Helens, confirmed the cause but said questions remain over why he was in Scotland and how he came to be at the spot.
In a record of inquest, Ms Bhardwaj said Mr Unsworth was "found deceased in a burn, a small water course such as a stream" wearing a t-shirt and tracksuit bottoms. She added: "There are limited details regarding the circumstances as to how Kenneth came to be in the burn."
Investigation and circumstances
The death was initially treated as "unexplained" by Police Scotland, but detectives later confirmed no suspicious circumstances. Ms Bhardwaj noted: "An investigation has been undertaken by Scottish police who have deemed Kenneth's death to be non-suspicious. The Scottish post-mortem examination found Kenneth died as a result of hypothermia whilst under the influence of cocaine and alcohol."
She added that immersion in water at some point before death could not be completely excluded, though his face was not submerged when found. "Even without Kenneth's face being covered by water, Kenneth was still lay in water which would have had the effect of making him colder," she said. "It is known that both alcohol and cocaine can have adverse effects upon the state of mind and so may have played a role in his behaviour prior to death."
Numerous scratches were consistent with scrambling through undergrowth, but there was no evidence of trauma. The conclusion remained open because specific details remained uncertain.
Online videos and family tribute
Questions were raised when a video appeared online appearing to show the dead man filming himself and other occupants of a car. Another video, believed to have been filmed by a relative, later showed the location where Mr Unsworth was found.
His nephew previously described the Liverpool fan as a "kind loving man that didn’t have a bad bone in his body", adding: "He didn’t deserve to go the way he did."
