A teenager may have stepped into the path of a train in front of classmates because of his addiction to energy drinks, a hearing was told.

Sam Connor, 14, died at Chertsey railway station, Surrey, earlier this year and an inquest is to be held to determine whether the drinks played a part in his death.

His family revealed that Sam, a pupil at Salesian secondary school, did not sleep well and suffered from anxiety.

Senior Coroner Richard Travers said that he would look at speaking to experts for a full inquest into Sam’s death and the role the drinks may have played.

He said: ‘There’s some discussion Sam was drinking a lot of these high energy drinks. The fact is that Sam wasn’t the best of eaters, he didn’t eat a lot. He didn’t sleep well.

‘That is an area that I need to explore and if necessary find some expert opinion of this young teenage boy who is drinking high energy drinks and not eating a great deal.

‘What effect might that have on a young metabolism and a person’s well-being?’

Sam’s parents James and Christine Connor were both at the hearing along with Sam’s brother James and sister Georgia, but they said they were unaware of the possible issue.

James said: ‘We didn’t know that he was drinking these energy drinks. We didn’t have them in the house.’

Mr Travers told them: ‘You couldn’t have possibly known. I presume he had pocket money and he bought them at a corner shop.’

Data from Sam’s phone and messages on social media revealed that he had spoken about suicide with friends.

A full inquest is set to take place in February and will hear from his headteacher James Kibble after mum Christine asked the coroner to look into the school’s mental health policies.

The inquest will also hear from Sams classmates, GP, teachers and the train driver.

Mr Travers concluded: ‘I offer you my condolences on Sam’s tragic death, and I understand this is extraordinarily difficult for you all.’

Source: Read Full Article