Schoolboy, 14, killed himself after being told he couldn't have friends over
A popular schoolboy killed himself after being told that he couldn't have friends round for a sleepover because he'd been caught vaping, an inquest heard.
Dylan King Ng, 14, has been described as a talented 14-year-old who loved the outdoors and was a popular pupil at Braunton Academy. An inquest into his death at Exeter Coroner's Court on Wednesday heard how Dylan was born in London, and spent the first year of his life growing up there while also enjoying outdoor adventures travelling around in his family's van.
They then moved to Bristol and relocated to Braunton when he was three to be closer to the coast. From then on they enjoyed a happy family life that involved plenty of camping, surfing and outdoor fun. Dylan developed a love of surfing, playing the piano and latterly going to the gym and volunteering with surf therapy charity The Wave Project.
The former Kingsacre Primary School pupil was said to have a wide group of friends and would often prioritise his friends' needs over his own. In a statement read out during the inquest, his parents said: "Dylan was a charismatic, fun, kind and respectful boy who was also very funny and made us laugh a lot. As he evolved in life, he was enthusiastic and was always joking around. He was bright and could do well at school with little effort... on the whole, he did very well at school and we were very proud of him." In his teenage years, he was described as a free spirit and would occasionally rebel against limits typically set by parents of teenagers. His parents said: "We were a normal happy family with a free-spirited and slightly rebellious son who was adored."
At the time of his death, the inquest heard Dylan had been grounded after being caught vaping. On his way home from school on March 17, he was described as having been in 'good spirits' by a family friend who had seen him, reported DevonLive. Back home, he had been disappointed to be told he was not allowed to have two friends stay for a sleepover and had initially been reluctant to share his mid-term assessment results. He locked himself in the bathroom with some comics and when his parents tried to coax him out he asked them to leave him alone to give him 'some space', which they agreed to.
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Around an hour later they went to check on him but were unable to get a response. After forcing entry into the bathroom they found him unresponsive and called for an ambulance at around 7.50pm. Despite resuscitation attempts, he was unable to be revived. His GP records confirmed he had no significant medical history.
In a statement, his parents stated he had not previously suffered with his mental health and their belief is his death was a 'tragic mistake' at a moment when he wanted to show how upset he was. They said: "The whole events that evening seem unreal and we have replayed them repeatedly to make sense of them. There were never signs or indications he had thoughts to harm himself.
"What he did was an impulsive moment of anger and rage. I imagine he was really upset and wanted to kick back in a most extreme way to show how upset he was. I don't think he wanted to die as he had so much life to live." They continued: "He generally was a really happy boy who enjoyed life and was excited about growing up. Tragically he acted impulsively and, immaturely at the age of 14, he did not really know the consequences of his actions and that they were not reversible and the devastation it would cause."
A police investigation, which included analysing his mobile phone and tablet and speaking to his school and friends, confirmed there had been 'nothing out of the ordinary' and there was no evidence to show a deterioration in his state of mind or having had any previous self-harm thoughts.
Instead, police concluded he was a highly likeable and happy young person, who was very academic and although there had been a bit of a dip in his grades at school, they had started to improve and he was on track in the majority of his subjects. Senior coroner Philip Spinney confirmed after hearing all the evidence that it was likely Dylan had acted impulsively without fully understanding the consequences of his actions.
He said: "Taking the evidence as a whole, on the balance of probabilities, there is insufficient evidence to reach a conclusion of suicide." He continued: "It is not possible from the evidence to reach a conclusion about his intentions and it would be wrong for me to fill in the gaps in the evidence... I cannot reach a conclusion about his intentions." Recording a narrative conclusion, Mr Spinney said: "Dylan died as a consequence of his own actions."
Paying tribute to Dylan after the inquest, his parents said: "The inquest is over but our lives remain in turmoil. We have lost our only, deeply loved, beautiful son and we are struggling to make sense of this. Thank you to our family, friends, the community and many services for their love, help and support. We also thank everyone for the consideration they continue to show us during this most painful time."
If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans in the UK operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email [email protected] or visit their site to find your local branch.
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