Coroner rules there was no sole trigger for student who took his own life in Darlington
A coroner has ruled a teenage boy died by suicide after being found dead in the toilets of his college in Darlington.
A coroner has ruled a teenage boy died by suicide after being found dead in the toilets of his college in Darlington.
Sam Coutts was found dead at Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, Darlington, in January, following a meeting with the vice-principal about social media posts in which he said he had a crush on his support worker.
Today, the hearing heard that no one knew that the 18 year old, who was autistic, had thoughts of taking his own life.
On the third day of the inquest at Crook Civic Centre on Wednesday, County Durham Coroner Crispin Oliver gave a conclusion of suicide.
He said: “It is important to remember that at no time did Sam, at any point before his death, confide in anyone, whether a family member or staff at the college, any suicidal ideation.”
The coroner said the bright and loving teenager brought the means to take his own life into college with him that morning.
He said: “The meeting therefore cannot be construed as the sole triggering event.
“Rather, this tragedy was the end point of a continuum of various factors and events building up over months.
“The most material of these were simply not known to family or college staff.”
A letter found at the scene made no mention of a triggering event either, Mr Oliver said.
But the coroner did say it was “a particularly painful part of this grim and sad set of events” that Sam was not found for three hours after the meeting ended, even if that did not change the tragic outcome.
The inquest has previously heard how college principal Laurence Job got a staff member to open the locked toilet cubicle and he was first to attend to Sam, who could not be saved.
The coroner said Sam had missed two lessons in the meantime but Mr Oliver noted that college students were afforded a degree of freedom.
Mr Oliver said: “It has been an extremely painful case for everyone involved, and that includes myself.
“I can only express my condolences to members of the family and my thanks for their participation.
“I also express my sympathies with members of the college staff for whom I can appreciate this was an extremely traumatic event.
“I thank them for their co-operation with this inquest.”
Earlier, Mr Oliver said Sam was diagnosed with autism in 2020 and was “acutely embarrassed” to have the condition, and had tried to “cure” himself with the hormone oxytocin.
He found change difficult and was self-critical, the coroner said, which was apparent from his diaries which were private.
Despite the “inner battles” he fought, Sam had a “huge amount going for him”, the coroner said.
“All deaths of this nature are tragic,” he said.
“What makes this one particularly awful is that it is foreseeable that, but for him ending his own life, he would have gone on to be a high achieving and eventually happy and fulfilled adult.”
Sam intervened when a family member attempted to take their own life in October last year, the inquest heard.
He was upset in December when he spoke about college being closed over the holidays and he worried about making friends at university.
He emailed his support worker on Christmas Day a link to the Mariah Carey song All I Want For Christmas Is You.
She raised the issue with colleagues after the holidays and it was decided Sam should transfer to another, male, support worker.
In early January, she became aware of Reddit posts in which he expressed he had a crush on her, which led to the meeting with the vice-principal, following a discussion with Sam’s mother, Kirsten Coutts.
Ms Coutts did not wish to speak after the inquest.
Senior college staff attended the hearing remotely after a threat was made to the organisation on Monday evening.
After the inquest concluded, Mr Job said in a statement:
“We remember Sam with great affection as a kind young man who had a positive impact on those who knew him. Our thoughts remain with Sam and his family and friends.”
You can call Samaritans for free on 116 123 or visit samaritans.org.