Leah Croucher's brother Haydon 'was begging for help'

Haydon Croucher died nine months after his sister Leah Croucher was last seen

The brother of a missing teenager "was begging for help" before he died according to his mother, an inquest heard.

Haydon Croucher, 24, died on 16 November 2019, two days after being found hanged at his Milton Keynes flat.

His sister Leah, 19, has not been seen since 15 February 2019 despite extensive searches.

Tom Osborne, the senior coroner for Milton Keynes, recorded a verdict of suicide.

Mr Croucher's mother Tracey Furness told the coroner at the time of his death he was "suffering with severe clinical depression and anxiety".

She also said he had attempted to take his own life on two previous occasions.

Ms Furness told the inquest: "He did suffer with ill mental health and felt all emotions at their extreme.

"He needed help. He was begging for help. Hayden felt uncared for."

A £5,000 reward has been offered for information about Ms Croucher's disappearance

Mr Croucher's therapist Chantelle Tillison told Milton Keynes Coroner's Court he told her he "felt hopeless and said he would be better off dead".

She told the hearing that during the last of three sessions, on 16 October, Mr Croucher said he had "found it difficult to cope with no family support".

'Man in crisis'

She said she persuaded him to go with her to Milton Keynes Hospital for an assessment, but he was not admitted as he did not want an out-of-area psychiatric bed.

Earlier in the inquest Colin Garvey, a community psychiatric nurse with the Central and North West London NHS Trust, said a decision to discharge Mr Croucher had not been documented.

In his conclusion of suicide, Mr Osborne said he was "not satisfied an in-patient bed was discussed" for Mr Croucher.

"It needed to be recorded. It is the case of the old adage if it is not recorded it did not happen. I do not believe it was considered," he said.

"There was no discharge plan in place and that has contributed to Haydon's death."

Mr Osborne described Mr Croucher as having been "a young man in crisis".

• For information and support on mental health and suicide, access the BBC Action Line.