Somerset teenager stepped in front of 60mph train

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Somerset teenager stepped in front of 60mph train

Sunday, July 03, 2011

A troubled teenager suffering with Asperger's Syndrome walked into the path of a

train after previous attempts at harming himself, an inquest heard.

Davies, 16, of Poundfield Road, Minehead, had previously talked of

wanting to kill himself on a railway line and was admitted to a young people's

mental health unit.

But on February 25 this year, when back at home, he told his family he was going

out to see a friend who had a new puppy.

His stepfather, Hawkes, gave evidence at an inquest at Taunton, Somerset,

this week. He said: " His friend did have a puppy, it's just that he didn't go

there. "

When Sam did not return, his mother and sister went to the friend's house, but

were told he had not been there. They then alerted the police.

Around half an hour later police broke the news to the family that Sam had been

hit by the First Great Western Newport to Exeter St 's train as it

approached Bridgwater station.

In a written statement train driver Staddon told the inquest he was

travelling at around 60 miles per hour when he saw a young man step out onto the

track bed, 40 feet ahead, pause and then step back.

He thought the boy was " playing chicken " but as the train passed the point where

Sam had been standing Mr Staddon heard a thud.

Sam was studying photography and fine art at Bridgwater College but although he

enjoyed the course, his stepfather told the inquest that Sam had been

" struggling to cope with some of the day-to-day emotions and relationships " .

On October 10, one of Sam's friends alerted his family to a text message in

which the student said he had gone to Bridgwater and wanted to kill himself.

He was found trying to get through brambles near the railway line. He was taken

to Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, for psychiatric assessment. Two weeks later

he overdosed at home on paracetamol.

His mother realised what had happened and he was taken into a mental health

unit.

Later when back at home he went to the rail line again but the noise of the

train put him off.

Dr Anne Walton, consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist based at Bridgwater

said Sam was " very positive " about trying to engage with staff at the mental

health unit, but still struggled to do so. She said staff would not have acted

differently.

She said: " Sam had Asperger's from a young age and suffered a difficulty of

understanding the emotional tone of communication and socially had problems

communicating himself.

He expressed his desire to commit suicide and saw things very much in black and

white. He talked about standing in front of a train on more than one occasion. "

Recording a verdict of suicide West Somerset coroner Rose said: " I think

the treatment he was given was quite right in the circumstances. "

Mr Hawkes said Sam had been planning to go back to college this September and

take a different course. " The college was very understanding, " he said.

Both Mr Hawkes and Sam's natural father said they would keep `happy memories' of

the boy.

[Guest guest]

Trying to deal with the relationship thing at that age isn't easy, and not just "romantic relationships" but any kind of relationship. That's one reason I'm glad I went to an all male boarding school for high school because there wasn't all that boyfriend/girlfriend junk going on like guys showing off for the girls and the bullying that goes with it.

However, it was still annoying to listen to the other guys talk about girls, even though most of it was probably lies. Same goes for the parties and all the other things that seemed the normal things to be doing.

Fortunately even at boarding school I was able to keep to myself and avoid most of the nonsense. It was still annoying being excluded but it was tolerable.

In a message dated 7/3/2011 3:08:23 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, no_reply writes:

She said: "Sam had Asperger's from a young age and suffered a difficulty of understanding the emotional tone of communication and socially had problems communicating himself.