Tragic last text boy, 14, sent before he died by suicide

A 14-year-old schoolboy sent the girl he liked a tragic text before he took his own life in front of 50 of his classmates. WARNING: Distressing

WARNING: Distressing

A UK schoolboy texted a girl he liked before he took his own life in front of his classmates, an inquest heard on Thursday.

Sam Connor, 14, had received a “negative” school report before his death on July 15 last year.

The inquest also heard how Sam had messaged a girl he liked before he died, saying: “I’m going for a while, don’t forget me.”

CCTV was shown to the inquest of the boy’s last moments surrounded by his 50 classmates. He could be seen speaking with a friend before his last act.

TRAGIC DEATH

The inquest heard another pupil called out “don’t do it!”

A witness told the inquest Sam handed his bags to a peer and asked him to “look after them for a minute”.

Senior coroner for Surrey, Richard Travers, questioned one of Sam’s friends over a reported “suicide pact”.

The 15-year-old was seen by witnesses talking and whispering while looking down “as though something was about to happen”.

But giving evidence, the boy said he could not remember what was discussed moments before Sam died.

Sam Connor died at the age of 14 after taking his own life. Picture: Facebook

‘SUICIDE PACT’

Mr Travers said: “Let me be frank with you, you are seen to walking … Sam then follows you and there is plainly conversation going on between the two of you.

“I want to know what conversation you had and what was being said between you and Sam at that time please.”

The inquest heard how police were told about a suicide pact between Sam, his friend and another boy.

But he said he had taken it as a “joke” so he agreed to it to also “be in on the joke”.

The boy added: “I am pretty sure he had joked about pacts like that before.”

‘NEGATIVE’ REPORT

The inquest heard the teen had an “enjoyable dinner” on a trip to see his sister the night before his death.

While at school, Sam, who suffered from anxiety, was given a “negative” report which would have “upset him”, his family said.

School friends told the hearing Sam had been heard talking about suicide in the lead up to his death but said they did not think this was unusual because he often discussed to topic.

The boy said: “During the lesson, Sam was slouching as he usually did. He told me that he wanted to … suicide. I cannot remember his exact words but he either said ‘I want to’ or ‘I am going to’.

“He was going in to far more detail than usual. Sam has said similar things in the past, but I always though that they were throwaway comments.

“He tried to give me his phone, iPod and keys but I did not take them.”

The teen tried to give his belongings to several other students throughout the day but his peers had believed he was playing a practical joke.

One boy, who can’t be named, said he saw Sam sitting alone on benches at the school looking “really sad” before spotting the teen just before he died.

He said: “I remember seeing a note, a folded up piece of A4 paper. On the note was written, ‘give this to the authorities’ and there was also a list of names.

“Other than the names, there was a written paragraph.”

The names included two teachers and three boys from his school, who the inquest heard Sam had no genuine issue with and had written for a “joke”.

The book containing the note was later identified as An Inspector Calls, which they had just finished reading in English class.

The inquest heard Sam – pictured with mum Christine – sent a heartbreaking text message before his death. Picture: Facebook

‘GENTLE-NATURED’

Another witness told how Sam sent her a message in the May before his death, asking questions about how someone could end their own life.

“I moved the conversation on because Sam said things like that a lot,” she said.

“We would usually think, ‘oh, that’s just Sam’. I never thought it was my place to tell anyone that Sam was upset because it was so obvious. Also, I did not want to lose Sam as a friend.”

Pupils said they did not believe Sam was being bullied and explained he was popular in his own group of friends.

He had been referred to mental health workers in Surrey in July 2013 due to issues around food intake, which they believed were psychological.

But this was closed by October that year as Sam was trying new foods and seemed more positive.

Paying tribute to Sam, his family said in a statement: “He was a kind, caring, gentle-natured boy from birth.

“He never had a bad word to say about anyone. He was polite and well-mannered at all times. Sam came from a loving, supporting home.

“Sam was a sensitive soul and often thought of others, especially his family and friends. He would always ask, ‘how was your day.’?”

The inquest continues.

This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission