A 14-year-old boy found suspended in his bedroom may have died while messing around when a ligature caught on the top of his bunk, an inquest has heard. Ibrahim Shahid's death was described by the coroner as a 'truly tragic set of circumstances'.
The talented footballer had just chosen his GCSEs and was looking forward to a family holiday. The inquest heard that on March 14 this year he went to school as normal.
On March 15 there was no school because of teacher strikes. His mum went to his room at around 9am and found him 'suspended' from his bunk bed, reports MEN.
Ibrahim was rushed to hospital but the inquest heard nothing could be done to save him. His family, in a statement to the coroner, said they 'can not accept' that it was a 'deliberate intention'. "He was so full of life," they added. "The house is empty without him. He was a shining star."
A pathologist recorded the cause of death as hanging. Ibrahim's GP said there was no history of low mood, anxiety or depression. He hadn't expressed any 'suicidal ideation'.
Detective Inspector Andrew Fink said Ibrahim was found suspended from his bunk bed. He said there were no issues raised by Ibrahim's family or his school - he was described at the inquest as a 'good student'.
His iPhone was examined and a WhatsApp message from a school friend was discovered at just gone midnight, although there was nothing untoward, the inquest heard.
No suicide notes or drugs were found, said Det Insp Fink, and the family were not known to police or social services. He said he believed Ibrahim 'may have been messing around' when he died.
Assistant coroner Julie Mitchell said there were also no issues with bullying. She said: "I have reports from the family that Ibrahim had recently travelled to a destination that he very much loved and he was talking about future holidays. He was keen to travel to Egypt.
"There is nothing to suggest that he was struggling at school. His GP has indicated there was no history of low mood, depression or anxiety. There is nothing to indicate that Ibrahim intended the consequences of his actions."
Ms Mitchell went on: "It is unclear why Ibrahim chose to do what he did. I do not think that he intended to take his own life. I am satisfied that this is not a suicide. It may well be that it is a tragic accident, but we have no information.
"He was clearly a very popular boy and I want to extend my condolences. It is a truly tragic set of circumstances."
His uncle Umar Jawaid said the family was 'living through a nightmare'.
He said: "This has had a massive impact on the whole community. I've been to a lot of funerals, unfortunately, in my time but we had to delay the prayers so imams from other mosques could arrive. There were hundreds of people there, pupils and teachers from Hathershaw College and from his primary school, Broadfield primary school. It was incredible.
"He was a care-free soul. He wanted his life to be as stress-free as possible, just to have a joke."
