Nelson teenager hanged himself because of ‘exam worry’ (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Nelson teenager hanged himself because of ‘exam worry’

11:00am Thursday 8th November 2012 in News By Chris Gee, Reporter

A TEENAGE boy hanged himself in his bedroom in the middle of taking his GCSEs, an inquest has heard.

Sohail Hussain, 15, of Larch Street, Nelson, was described as “kind and thoughtful” and “always willing to help others” during the hearing at Burnley Magistrates’ Court.

In the weeks prior to his death on Sunday, May 27, the teenager, a popular student at Marsden Heights Community College, had been revising hard and taking extra weekend study classes.

He had also been complaining about headaches and on the weekend of his death had been reunited for the first time in several months with his estranged father, with whom he enjoyed a “fractured relationship”.

Sohail’s mother Fozia Shaukat, who lived with him and his two brothers and two sisters, told the court that her son was “not academically gifted but he was very conscientious and tried hard”.

She said he had ambitions to become and electrician and was concerned the grades he would achieve would not be good enough for a college course.

Ms Shaukat added that Sohail had a business studies exam following day about which he was part-icularly worried.

However on the Sunday in question family life was going on as normal and “nobody had any feeling there was something wrong”.

Later that evening he was found lifeless in their shared bedroom by his brother.

Sohail’s father Iftikhar Hussain, told the hearing that he had been visited at another address in Nelson by Sohail and his two sisters on the day of his death and the previous day.

He said that Sohail had been quietly studying, was worried about his exams, but there was “no indication of deeper concern”.

Tibret Sarfraz, a humanities teacher at Marsden, said she had known Sohail since he was three and described him as a “likeable, kind boy, who was always smiling and willing to help others”.

She said that in the days before his death he had been part of a revision class she had taken where he had been joking and in good spirits.

She added that he was “very keen to do well” and that she detected “nothing of concern” in his manner or behaviour.

Recording a narrative verdict, East Lancashire coroner Richard Talyor, said that although Sohail’s actions were deliberate “he had given no indication of an intention to take his own life”.

Paying tribute to her son after the hearing, Fozia Shaukat, said: “My son’s death is something which I may never be able to come to terms with fully.

“Sohail was a wonderful son, kind and thoughtful to everyone he met.

“There were no obvious warning signs or indication of what he was going to do.

“I hope no other parent and family has to experience the pain of losing a child so tragically and would encourage parents to talk to their children regularly and appreciate the pressures that they may be under.”