'School failed to help bullied suicide boy'

A teenager who was violently bullied hanged himself after his school failed to recognise his plight, an inquest was told.

Bullies broke Oliver Sabine's nose, stole five of his bicycles and abused him. He hanged himself from a tree in the garden of his home in Woodley, Berkshire, on 19 June 2003.

His mother Shirley Owen told Berkshire coroner's court that despite telling teachers "you do not want a suicide in your school", information did not reach Richard Green, headmaster of Waingel's Copse Secondary, Woodley. The court heard a psychiatrist diagnosed Oliver, 17, with depression, and Ms Owen, a nurse, said it was "common knowledge" at the school that the boy cut himself with knives.

She confronted his son's head of year but "he didn't seem to be taking it too seriously", she said, adding: "I [said] to each of his teachers, 'You know Oliver is receiving psychiatric treatment?' ... I don't think they believed he was suicidal." Police arrested and cautioned suspected bullies, most younger than Oliver, but none was expelled, the court heard.

Mr Green admitted that Oliver never came to his attention but denied teachers were told the boy was suicidal. He said the one incident of bullying outside school that was recorded was acted upon.

Coroner Peter Bedford criticised the school for not keeping proper records of Ms Owen's concerns but did not blame it for the death. He recorded a verdict of suicide.