'Miffed' schoolboy accidentally hangs himself with his tie after being sent to room

Aidan Thomas was "miffed" at being grounded and told to tidy his room by his mother.

Coroner David Hinchliff said, however, that the youngster did not mean to kill himself when he tied his tie around a stairpost.

Scroll down for more ...

He was just "being dramatic" and "drawing attention to himself" without realising that he would be unconscious within seconds.

Aidan's mother Wendy choked back tears as Mr Hinchliff described the events of March 15, which preceded her son's death.

The inquest in Leeds heard that Aidan, who was a promising footballer and keen artist, had been grounded because he was late home from a friend's house. Mrs Thomas had also told him to tidy his room.

The next thing the mother-of-four knew, her daughter told her that Aidan was messing about on the stairs at their home in Leeds.

She did not think this was unusual, but when she eventually went to look, she saw her son had attached the tie round his neck to the newel post and was unconscious, leaning forward.

Despite desperate attempts to save him by Mrs Thomas and then paramedics and hospital staff, Aidan died in hospital the following day.

Mrs Thomas and teachers at Temple Moor High School, in Leeds, told the inquest that there was no evidence Aidan was being bullied.

He could look after himself and had an open nature, which meant any problems would have been obvious.

Mr Hinchliff, the West Yorkshire coroner, said Aidan had a terrible disciplinary record at school, but it was for persistent minor misdemeanours and he was well-liked by the staff.

"Aidan was a very bright, loveable rogue," he said. "On this occasion I know he was a bit miffed because he had been grounded.

"He also wasn't pleased about having to do his bedroom. That must be a scenario which goes on in every house where there are young children.

"He would not have construed for a minute that as a consequence of what he was doing this dreadful tragedy would follow.

"This was one occasion in which Aidan was being dramatic - drawing attention to himself. He did something without thinking."

Scroll down for more ...

He said to Mrs Thomas: "He was just doing something rather daft, wasn't he? He was really drawing attention to himself, wasn't he?"

Recording an accident verdict, Mr Hinchliff said: "I don't think for a minute that what he did was deliberate. I regard this as just a tragic accident."

The coroner told Mrs Thomas and her husband Philip not to "reproach themselves and urged them not to think, "If only I had not asked him to tidy his room." He added: "You did nothing wrong. Every reasonable parent will do the same."