A TEENAGER with severe language difficulties “died by his own hand”, an inquest has heard.

Gavin Mason, 13, was found hanging in the garage of his family home in Coniston Road, Kempshott on June 22.

He was taken to Southampton General Hospital by air ambulance where he died on June 24.

PC Kieran Davitt told the inquest when he arrived at the scene the 13-year-old was laying on his back and was a pale colour. PC Davitt administered medical aid until paramedics arrived.

The inquest at Basingstoke Magistrates Court on Tuesday, 12, September, heard how the Vyne Community School student had the language level of an eight-year-old and found school work difficult and stressful.

Sarajane Maxwell, a speech and language development assistant at The Vyne, said she worked closely with Gavin in helping him with his speech.

Mrs Maxwell said: “When I first met Gavin I would describe him as very anxious and found he would get stressed by school work. His social interactions were quite poor and this would mean it was difficult to keep friendships.

He would ask questions like ‘do you like football?’ But never follow this up and this led to friendships fading.”

Mrs Maxwell told the inquest Gavin never specifically said he was being bullied. She said: “Gavin would tell me the he hated school, but he was a teenager and most teenagers hate school.

“But he would sometimes say I hate myself.”

The inquest also heard from Mrs Maxwell that on the day of the incident that Gavin had a completely different attitude in school and seemed calm.

Gavin’s mother, Jill Mason. told the inquest: “He never told me anything.

“He always kept things to himself or he would talk to Jack who lives down the road.

“It was only if Jack had ever said that Gavin thought he was being bullied that I had heard anything.”

Following Gavin’s death, an investigation was launched at the school to see if bullying had played a factor, but nothing specific was found.

Acting detective sergeant Patricia Achilles, from child protection services, said after these types of cases there can be finger pointing among students towards bullying.

She said: “There was nothing specific that could say that this was caused by bulling towards Gavin.”

Ms Achilles also told the inquest that in the days leading up to his death, Gavin had used his phone to Google about self-harming and ‘how to kill yourself’.

Recording an open verdict, North East Hampshire coroner Andrew Bradley said: “The most significant fact is that a 13-year-old boy would be in that situation to take his own life.

“I do not doubt that Gavin died by his own hand, but I do not believe he was of sound mind to commit suicide.”