Coroner's anguish over 'bullying' death

Laura's notes said she had been bullied

A coroner has spoken of his "distress" at the suicide of a 14-year-old girl who took an overdose of painkillers after being bullied at school.

Laura Grimes swallowed about 130 Co-proxamol tablets and left 11 suicide notes for family and friends, an inquest heard.

Avon and District coroner Paul Forrest recorded a verdict of suicide while depressed and said the depression arose from the way she was treated by her friends and colleagues at school.

He said: "In my 20 years of being a coroner, I have never been so distressed at what this young girl wrote regarding her experiences and depression.

At no time did I witness any person bullying her nor did she mention that she was being bullied

Schoolfriend

"The notes and the poems that she left all point to the fact that she was suffering from depression, being brought on by a number of factors, the main one being bullied and the rejection by one or two friends as well."

Laura, who attended Mangotsfield School, died on 20 July.

The inquest at Poole Court, Yate, Bristol, heard that she had complained to her mother, Susan, about having a problem at school about three or four months before her death.

Mrs Grimes told the inquest in a statement that Laura had not told her what the problem was and did not want her to go to school to complain.

She said she had told her daughter that if the problem carried on, she would talk to her teachers , but Laura had not mentioned it again.

'Depressed and angry'

The inquest heard that unusually Laura had wanted to go to bed early on the two nights before her death and had asked not to be disturbed.

When she could not wake Laura for school on the Friday morning, Mrs Grimes called an ambulance, but she and her partner and paramedics failed to resuscitate her daughter.

A school friend of Laura's for three years said Laura had seemed fine the morning before her death, although she had been depressed and angry during the afternoon.

She said: "She had not mentioned to me that she had any problems. At no time did I witness any person bullying her nor did she mention that she was being bullied."

A post-mortem examination showed that Laura had 2.11mg of dextropropoxyphene per litre of blood, with 1mg per litre being consistent with poisoning.

Hidden packets

The cause of death was given as cardio-respiratory failure caused by the drug, more commonly known as Co-proxamol.

It had been prescribed to Mrs Grimes's partner's mother.

PC Garry Roberts said his first search of Laura's room had revealed five suicide notes written in pencil, as well as 13 empty blister packets hidden in a pillow case, which would all have contained 10 tablets.

A second search revealed six more notes behind the bedside cabinet, and a couple of the notes referred to bullying at school.

Derek Hall, the headmaster of Mangotsfield school, said that the school had a very strict policy on bullying, and that there was a helpline for reporting such incidents.

He added that Laura had never complained of bullying to her tutor, head of year, or to her large number of friends.